


Redemption

by szyszkaszyszka



Category: Dishonored (Video Game)
Genre: Background Relationships, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-03
Updated: 2014-11-03
Packaged: 2018-02-16 00:08:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 23
Words: 50,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2248587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/szyszkaszyszka/pseuds/szyszkaszyszka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The events that follow the main plot-line of Dishonored<br/>It appears that the previous problems were only a prelude and Corvo, against himself and his better judgement, must side with Daud if he wants to save himself and Emily</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya, this is my first proper work so please be understanding. There maybe some mistakes and if there are many major issues let me know so that I may correct them. Do comment,it would mean a lot to me and if you like it I will be posting more since this is a proper length story,now I shall shhhhush

Corvo thought he felt a sinister presence in the shadows. Out of the corner of his eye he saw darkness creeping towards him. Alarmed, he put down his quill and turned up the wick of the lamp sitting on the ornamented desk. The shadows retreated revealing nothing out of the ordinary, whereas the presence lingered for a moment longer until it too left no trace . Corvo sighed with a feeling of an intangible threat hanging over him. He guessed that since the day the Empress had been killed the threat never ceased to weigh upon him. As it turned out, revenge did not solve everything. Even now, with Emily on the throne, his name cleared and his mask hidden away in a chest under his bed, Corvo knew he could not let his guard down.

He got up and strode towards the large window. Beyond the thick glass lay the grounds of Dunwall Tower, slowly recovering from the turmoil, bathed in a dim light of the dawn. Corvo put his arm up, covering the view and pushing away the memories of better times. This, however, displayed to him the mark on his hand. The mark of the Outsider. Could he be the presence in the darkness? It seemed possible, yet Corvo doubted it. The Outsider had visited him before but never like this- it was either in dreams or at his shrines. Still, he knew scarcely little about the supernatural being. The Outsider...why did he bestow mortals with his 'gift' anyway? Corvo guessed that it must simply be entertaining for him to watch his chosen ones kill and rise to power, just to slowly descent into insanity and death...  
That was why Corvo had decided not to exercise his abilities any more. Perhaps this had angered the Outsider and now he sought to punish his unruly play-thing. 

"Hello Corvo", a deep horse voice came from behind. Corvo immediately recognized it. He felt an icy shiver trickle down his spine.

"Daud", Corvo addressed the man who assassinated his beloved Empress, Emily's mother, "I believe there no longer is a price on my head", he paused to turn to see the intruder. Daud's creased face deformed into a slight smile but there was no warmth in his eyes. These were glassy and empty. His reddish leather suit creaked as he took a step towards Corvo who continued, "therefore I see no reason for you to be here, other than that to taunt me and test my patience", Corvo narrowed his eyes, "or maybe you have come to make me regret my decision".

"Quite the contrary", Daud responded calmly, holding his hands together, "I wished to thank you. I have spared a life of one who has betrayed me, I know what it takes. I know the price of a second chance".

Corvo began to grow impatient. He put his hand causally on his hip, inches away from his blade.  
"Spared one life and how many have you taken?"

Daud’s expression grimed. He leaned in as if confidentially.  
"And how many have you slain?...You cannot even estimate", he paused for a moment, "We are very alike".

"No!", Corvo hissed, "I have never killed for a mere coin!"

Daud shook his head.  
"You are an assassin, just like me", he said in a quiet voice, "why you do it is secondary".

"What do you know about me? I don't do it anymore."

"Once an assassin, always an assassin."

Corvo let his arms drop heavily.  
"Why are you telling me this? Has the Outsider sent you? Or maybe the Knife of Dunwall wishes me to assist him on his next murder?"

"The latter is more or less accurate", Daud winced as he adjusted his gloves.  
Corvo was struck speechless.  
"But not as you would imagine", Daud quickly added, "This matter is not of our world."

"Darkness..." Corvo whispered.

"Yes"

The air in the room seemed to have grown thicker. Daud's eyes were fixed on Corvo, watching and judging his every move. The creases on the man's face became deeper and his scar looked now like it was severing his face into two. In those intense eyes Corvo saw a glimpse of fear. He raked his fingers back through his hair.

"What is it?", He finally asked.

Daud sighed.  
"I don't know but it possesses a significant power on its own. Greater than mine or yours, I dare say."

"And how would you know that?"

Daud removed his leather glove with one single move revealing the Outsiders mark. Corvo could see fresh bloody scratches on his arm but it was not until the man pulled up his sleeve that he saw the full extent of the wound. The flesh had been ripped open as if with the use of fangs and claws.

"It attacked me."

Corvo stepped towards him to closer examine his wound. He could not imagine what could have caused such damage. It reminded him of marks left by a vicious animal, a hound perhaps, but much more extensive and severe. The skin around it had a sickly red colour.

"You should tend to this if you wish to still have an arm".

Daud chuckled, what threw Corvo entirely off the track.  
"To think I'd see Corvo Attano concerned about my health", he said in between laughs and without giving Corvo the time to protest, quickly added, "I think this darkness is a person of our kind, marked, but somehow stronger. Alone we stand no chance but if we were to team up against this threat...it wouldn't dare to attack."

As Corvo considered the man’s words and whether he was crazy for considering them at all, there was an insistent knock on the door. He looked at Daud as the assassin disappeared.

Corvo shook his head with disbelief at what his life had become as he approached the door fighting the temptation to use his power and see who was beyond it. He opened it and there stood a guard who bowed to him respectfully.

"The Empress calls for you, Lord Protector".

Corvo looked back into his room. Daud was nowhere to be seen but he knew that meant nothing.  
"Yes, I will go see her now."

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Emily’s quarters were close to his own. He was her Lord Protector after all. For him it was not only a matter of loyalty towards the Empress. She was his dearest person in the whole world and he cared for her truly as a father would.

Since she meant so much to him, her behaviour troubled him lately. The whole ordeal which ended with her reclaiming the throne weighted upon her greatly. She became more.. dark, talking about bloody things and deeds. 

Corvo clasped hands behind his back as he followed the guard down the dim corridor. In his mind’s eye he saw himself as he had taken the same path to eliminate the Lord Regent, Hiram Burrows. It seemed like forever ago, yet it felt like nothing has changed since then in the Tower. As he walked he acknowledged the way the carpet muffled the sound of his footsteps, the way the heavy window drapes provided possible cover, he thought about all the alternative roots he could take to reach his destination. He judged the attention spun of the guard who led him and imagined himself chocking him. Stop, he demanded. Things of the past should remain in the past. It was not his life anymore, it did not have to be.

The guards stationed by Emily’s doors straightened as he approached. Corvo knocked and went in after hearing a ‘come in’ from beyond it. He entered the grand outer room which was the more official part of the young Empress’ apartments. In the past, these had belonged to Hiram Burrows... and earlier to Jessamine. He knew these rooms all too well. The owner might have changed but the quarters had not. He supposed only the aroma that hang in the air had actually changed. It no longer stank of smoke and whiskey as it had under the reign of the Lord Regent. The scent of Jessamine was a long gone and distant memory. 

Emily sat at the grand table with her tutor. What lesson this has been he could not say but before them lay stacks of books. When Emily saw him, she beamed and run towards him, papers flying. 

"Enough for today, please", she threw back at neatly dressed middle-aged woman who tried to tidy the mess Emily’s abrupt movement has caused, "I have a guest".

The woman adjusted small glasses on her face.  
"But my Empress, we still have to..."

"Leave us", Emily insisted.

The woman, surely quite offended but with no inclination to make it visible, collected the books and left bidding them a good day. As doors shut behind her, Emily’s face grimaced.  
"I don’t like her. I want Callista to be my tutor".

"I suppose that could be arranged", Corvo responded putting his right hand on the girl’s head, "But I hear the Tower tutors are highly experienced. Specialized in the subjects they teach."

"I liked Callista better", she placed her tiny fists at her sides. Corvo could not help but smile at her grumpy composure.

"So... did you summon me here so that you wouldn’t have to study?"

She shuffled her feet. Her white blouse and trousers perfectly ironed contrasted with her crow-black hair.  
"No!" she insisted, not very persuasively as she wrapped her thin arms around him, "I drew something for you".

"So you sent for me?", surprised, Corvo tried to clarify.

"Yes."

"But... you had always came to me yourself".

She let go of him and straightened. She tried to look majestic and aristocratic but her age made the whole scene ironic.  
"Well, now I’m the Empress and there are things I shouldn’t do".

Her words made Corvo uneasy.  
"I don’t think it would be inappropriate for you to come to me personally", he thought about how her mother had come to see him, rarely sending guards to fetch him, but he chose not to mention this. As he was saying that, Emily rushed back to the table, flipping pieces of paper and paying little attention to his words. When she found what she had been looking for, she proudly passed him the drawing. On the paper Corvo saw himself in his mask with a bloody sword, standing over corpses. Not at all what you might expect from a drawing done by a ten-year old.

"Do you like it?", she eagerly asked peering over his shoulder. Corvo felt his mouth go dry. He did not know what to say.

"I... I don’t think you should draw such things, Emily. What if somebody would see this".

She seemed perplexed.  
"What if?"

"It could put me in danger. I don’t think you would want that."

"Of course not!", Emily exclaimed appalled by the idea.

Corvo chose his words very carefully.  
"I...like it.. it’s just that the choice of theme is a rather- treacherous one."

He saw tears welling up in her eyes.  
"I’m sorry, Corvo", she sobbed and clenched to him, hiding her face in his chest, "I didn’t mean to..."

He stroke her head tenderly, trying to calm her down.  
"I know. Don’t cry, Emily. It’s fine..just in the future..."

She nodded against him.

Corvo understood now how deeply his actions had effected Emily. He slid the drawing into a hidden pocket inside his jacket.

Suddenly there was a commotion outside. Corvo pushed Emily behind him and drew his sword. He spun it around in his hand, releasing the hidden blade. The doors swung open. Beyond them they saw guards rushing about. Corvo grabbed one of them, keeping Emily behind him all the time.

"What is it?", Corvo demanded. The guard’s face was ashen, beads of sweat trickling down his forehead.

"I’m... not quite sure", he stuttered. The man shrunk under Corvo’s icy stare, "I mean, we thought we saw something... but it disappeared. Something dark".

Corvo scanned the corridor. Again this darkness. He looked down at Emily, who gazed at him trustfully. Her brown eyes, matching his, showed doubt that she would never utter aloud. She seemed so frail to him now, as if a stronger blow of the wind could break her. He would not allow that. He would do anything to protect her.

"What was that, Corvo?", Emily whispered.

"I don’t know but I will find out"..


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "We aren't exactly like the rest..", Corvo murmured, thinking aloud.  
> Daud snorted a little laugh.  
> "I guess we're not. We bare the mark of a heretical demigod, who likes...mingling".

After insuring proper illumination of Emily’s quarters and the area around them and increasing guard patrols, Corvo was returning to his room. He began forming in his head a plan of what he must do. 

Out of the corner of his eye, through the corridor windows he saw the gazebo out in the courtyard. There Jessamine’s life had ended and her gravestone stood now. He thought he saw a man there but when he turned his head to look more closely, the figure had disappeared. Daud puzzled him, acting in ways he would have never expect him to. He wanted to hate this depraved murderer and yet he could not bring himself to do that. 

Corvo was so submerged in his thoughts that nearly walked into Piero Joplin, who was coming up to meet him.

"Corvo!", he greeted him cheerfully, "I have wonderful news!"

The squirrely man shook with excitement.

"That’s a nice change", Corvo murmured and added aloud, " I’m all ears".

Piero licked his lips,

"I have done it, I mean me and Sokolov!"

Corvo waited for the man to elaborate. Piero, seeing that the Lord Protector did not know what he spoke of and was in no mood to guess, added, "We have the cure for the plague".

"That is better than wonderful", Corvo exclaimed, "You should see Emily at once!"

"Yes", Piero hesitated, "It’s just that, you know... she is very young. Perhaps someone more experienced should make the decisive decisions. Perhaps you".

Corvo missed a step. Not knowing how to respond he said the first thing that came up to his head,

"I would suppose you ought to solve the problem of mass production first".

Piero waved his hand dismissively,

"Oh that is not a problem, already taken care of".

"Well, in that case distribution must be organized. I believe combine efforts of the City Watch and the Overseers should suffice".

Piero uneasily adjusted his glasses,

"I’d say that’s a good idea. Is that what you order?"

Corvo was astonished by the question. How was he in a position to order anything? Emily was the rightful Empress. Corvo had never wanted power, never wished to rule. However, he supposed that in the current circumstances he had no choice. Emily had advisors, yes, but did he trust them enough? 

Piero’s gaze was stuck expectantly at him.

"I don’t suppose I’m the right person to voice such orders", he stuttered, "the Empress..."

"She is a little girl", Piero spat out and immediately regretted his own words, "I’m sorry, Corvo, I...-"

"You are right...", Corvo interrupted him and sighted, "That is what I order".

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Corvo was relieved when Piero left him. The awkward man always made him uneasy. It was Piero who had created his mask and weaponry. He was a brilliant mind, and for that Corvo respected him, yet the way he behaved was sometimes inhuman, as if he was deprived of emotions that normal people experienced. Piero gazed at other people in a way a scientist looked like a lab-rat. Still, he was a decent enough man and Corvo supposed that a mind like that had the right to be a little eccentric. 

Finally, alone in his room he took a deep breath. Corvo would do this alone, he did not need Daud's help. Taking long strides he crossed the room to his bed and knelt before it. He did not trust the man enough, how could he? From under the bed he pulled out a wooden chest. Carefully, as if with regret, he opened the lid. 

There lay his mask. Resembling a skull it had made him look like the incarnation of death itself when he had worn it. Exhaling slowly he tried to calm down. Corvo had much to do but right now he was just so exhausted that he could not bring himself to action. 

The Lord Protector thrust his stiff body on the grand bed, not caring enough to remove his boots. He placed the mask at his side. All he wanted was to close his eyes for a second.

With the second extending to fifteen minutes Corvo was half asleep. The half which was still awake realized that his mark started throbbing. The unusual sensation made him alert. He thought he heard something. Daud must have returned. He would dismiss the intruder, telling him that he is rejecting the offer. 

However, as Corvo started to rise from the bed, the throbbing of his left hand became more intensive and the anguish spread over the whole arm as if somebody was burning it. With a cry of pain stuck in his throat he looked down to see what was causing it.

He could not understand what was before his eyes. A shadowy darkness was surrounding, cocooning his left arm. Corvo yanked it back and the darkness dissolved for a moment just to return more overwhelming. It threw itself at Corvo who barely had the time to snatch at his blade. He released it and quickly stabbed at the unknown assailant but to no good avail. Corvo stabbed several times, panting with the effort. It had no effect. He started screaming as the darkness surrounded him, burning his body. His vision narrowed as he faintly tried to squirm away. Corvo thought that he felt skin coming off his arms, something ripping it open. 

A distant sound reached him in his world of agony. It sounded like swear words, one after the other. In between the 'shits' and 'fucks', he felt hands grabbing his shoulders and pulling him up. Corvo was sure the burning darkness reduced his body to nothing more than scraps of flesh. As that thought crossed his barely conscious mind he violently hit the floor. Now there is nothing left. 

Despite expecting the comforting feeling of fading away the world came rushing back in. Fearfully Corvo forced his eyes open.

"Shit", Daud cursed as he leaned over Corvo, "Are you alive?"

Corvo was not so sure. He would have bet on the opposite.

Daud's expression displayed genuine worry. He slapped Corvo on the face. Not too harshly but noticeably. Corvo instinctively grabbed his hand and was ready to deliver a punch back when he saw a grin on Daud's face, for the first time. 

"You had me worried there for a moment", Daud said, his grin disappearing. He helped Corvo up.

"I had myself worried...", Corvo murmured.

He looked at his arms. They bore the same wounds that Daud’s did, aching horribly. Corvo eyed the man in front of him.

"You saved me", his words came out as something between a question and a statement of astonishment. 

Daud nodded.

"I came back to finish our conversation. To my surprise I found you on the bed fighting the darkness. Well, actually succumbing to it. I pulled you out and it disappeared".

"Thank you".

"Do you trust me now?"

Corvo’s thoughts went over what had just happened. He came terribly close to crossing over into the other side. He stood no chance against the mysterious aggressor. What if it would have attacked Emily? An icy shiver run down his spine. Her chances were non-existent.

"Daud", he began barely believing what he was about to say, "please, help me protect Emily".

Daud shook his head.

"You don’t get it."

Corvo’s brow furrowed. This man was too much. Corvo resisted the urge to grab the man’s lapels, instead, he slammed a fist on the window sill. 

"The only thing I can do to protect her", Daud’s gravelly voice uttered, "is remove you from her presence".

Corvo thought he had misheard. He opened his mouth but found no words that would befit the mixture of disbelief, fury and fear he felt. 

"Haven’t you noticed? Whatever it is it doesn’t care about Emily. It is only concerned with you. And with me".

"Why?"

Daud shrugged but peered intensely at Corvo as if expecting an answer he himself did not have.

"We aren't exactly like the rest..", Corvo murmured, thinking aloud.

Daud snorted a little laugh.

"I guess we're not. We bare the mark of a heretical demigod, who likes...mingling".

Corvo sunk into a chair. He rested his left elbow, covered with open wounds, on a small table and with a finger started tracing outlines of a glass. Daud rubbed his neck and grabbed the almost full bottle of whiskey from the drawer. He had been stealing glances its way for some time. Corvo watched as the man sniffed the drink and smiled with approval. He looked at Corvo, rising the bottle, asking a question. The Lord Protector waved his hand in agreement. Daud, as if in his own apartment, went to the cupboard and took out a glass. With it in one hand and the bottle in the other he came up to Corvo, pouring him a drink, then serving himself.

Resigned, Corvo took a sip. Daud almost drained the glass.

"It's good", he purred pouring himself more. He took out a cigarette, offering it to Corvo but having it refused, plucked it into his own mouth. With a flash of his hand a tiny flame appeared between his fingers, lighting the cig. In another flash the lighter was tucked away in his pocket. Daud took a long drag and smoke slowly flowed from his mouth and nostrils.

They were wasting time. Corvo felt it was slowly running out and when it did... Emily would get hurt, he knew it. He decided to press Daud for answers.

"Have you seen him lately? Our mutual...friend".

Daud took out the cigarette and held it between the fingers of his gloved hand.

"The Outsider?...no. I think he is rather cross with me. I'm not as interesting as I used to be".

Corvo snorted,

"Yes, I know what you mean. I would bet he is the one behind this, directly or not. Perhaps we should speak with him and clarify some matters".

Daud took another drag,

"You think we can compel him to talk with us?"

"He won't come to us, but we may go to him"

Daud grinned,

"You want to visit his shrine? Nice. I may be able to help with that. There are several ones I know of in the Flooded District".

Corvo took another sip glaring at Daud from behind the rim of his glass. The assassin smiled sourly.

"I suppose you remember your previous visit".

"Yes, and being your prisoner".

Daud waved his hand,

"Don't exaggerate".

Corvo made a throaty growl. He got up abruptly and went to gather his mask.

"Let's not waste time, despite how pleasant this has been", he put on his jacket, rearranging his blade and crossbow, "There's just one more thing before we go, I have to find Geoff Curnow".

Daud's brows went up, he extinguished the cigarette in an ashtray at the small table.

"Curnow? Why?"

"I need to locate his niece, Callista, to propose her the position of Emily's tutor."

Daud cleared his throat,

"I can give you her location", he said seemingly emotionlessly, yet appearing a little too tense. Corvo snorted,

"How would you know her location?"

Daud gurgled down the whole glass of whiskey,

"I just know, ok?", he exclaimed, glaring angrily. His face turned a little more red and Corvo doubted that it was the work of alcohol. 

Could it be possible?

"Is there something between you and Callista Curnow?", he asked, curiosity overcoming respect for privacy.

"Well shit", Daud cursed, fisting his hands at his sides, "Was there something between you and Jessamine Kaldwin?"

Corvo smirked despite himself.

"I suppose the answer to both of these questions is the same".


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "This woman is a pain in the..", he whispered, "..head".  
> Corvo eyed the man looking for signs of any emotions. He found none.  
> "Do we really have to stay for dinner?", Corvo murmured putting a hand to his forehead.  
> Daud shrugged.  
> "Unless you want to risk her anger... But you don’t want to do that", the man clapped Corvo on the back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The implied relationship between Daud and Callista, as well as Daud's cooking skills that will appear later, were inspired by Serindrana's 'Dust After Rain', available here: http://archiveofourown.org/works/847301/chapters/1618643

They could not be seen together in public. Actually, Daud could not be seen alone either. He was still a wanted man and his face was quite known. Papers addressed him as ‘The Knife of Dunwall’, describing at great lengths the circumstances of the deaths of his victims. The general public feared this man and with a good reason. 

Corvo started doubting his own sanity for trusting him. Still, he did save his life and so Corvo decided to go along with the plan. 

The alleyway they were now crossing stunk of old garbage. Couldn’t we just take a car, Corvo thought to himself longingly even though he knew it was not possible. They would have been stopped at multiple checkpoints spread around the city in order to contain the disease. He grimly smiled imagining being seen with Daud by the City Watch. The Lord Protector and The Knife of Dunwall. Not the best paring. 

This made them have to take a longer route, avoiding prying eyes. Before they had started their journey through alleyways, roof tops and gutters, Corvo, resigned, had put on his mask. He truly had believed that he would never have to wear it again. Feeling it now, rubbing against his face, was a constant reminder that Daud had been right. Once an assassin, always an assassin. Corvo wondered if he would have to take lives again, before the whole ordeal was over, before the day was over. Could he? The answer made him feel disgusted with himself. Of course he could, if it would protect Emily.

Until now neither of them had used the power granted to them by the Outsider. Even without it they possessed enough ability to effectively make progress through the city while remaining stealthy. Daud had been a paid killer and Corvo had been the Lord Protector long before the Outsider had visited them. Corvo did not know whether Daud was as heedful not to use his powers as was he. It seemed like they had made a silent agreement to deprive themselves of their inhuman abilities, at least for the time being. Corvo would not, however, hesitate if he needed those powers to aid him.

As it turned out, Callista's apartment was not that far from Dunwall Tower. Daud lead the way with certainty. The further into the city they went, the more the devastation caused by the plague became apparent. Buildings and streets were almost forlorn. Garbage was left unattended and rats feasted from it. Corvo had seen worse. Red signs marked the doors of houses from which victims of plague had been evicted and had been sent to dead districts, like the Flooded District, to dwell there until the disease takes them. Callista's neighbourhood was not the wealthiest, however, it was not poverty stricken either. If Corvo hadn't known that, he could have assumed otherwise. It would take a lot of time, effort and money to return it to the previous state. 

Not a single soul had spotted them during their journey through the labyrinth of the city. The sun was already quite high in the sky when they approached a four-storey red brick building. Daud stopped, and it was the first time he had since they left the Tower. Corvo concluded that they have reached their destination. Not knowing what to do next he turned to Daud but the man disappeared from his side just to appear on the balcony on the third floor. 

So much for the silent agreement, Corvo sighed and reached out his left hand. The mark glowed bright as he blinked to follow his guide. The world blurred into a blueish haze. For a split second he could see a deformed wall of the brick building as the balcony came rushing towards him. As all returned to normal, he was standing next to Daud. The assassin slid the glass doors open not looking back at his follower. Corvo hesitated for a moment, feeling a little dizzy from blinking up three floors. He had not done this for some time and despite being used to it in the past, he had fallen out of practice.

"Daud!", Corvo heard a female voice, coming from inside the apartment. He peeked into the small living room.

Callista was striding towards the paid killer with her arms raised high, as if to hug him in greeting. Seeing, however, the stiff bearing of Daud, she paused, looked around and saw Corvo. The woman quickly put down her arms and blushed slightly.

"Now, this is a surprise, to have both of you visit me in my apartment", She uttered, trying to cover the awkwardness with sanguinity, "I don't suppose, with both of you here, that this is a casual drop-by".

Daud huffed sitting himself in a chair. He took out a cigarette and reached for a nearby newspaper. This was not his business and he made it dead visible, although in quite a rude manner. Callista made no comment regarding his behaviour. Seeing that he had self-excluded himself, she concentrated her attention on Corvo. He took off his mask, hid it under his jacket and cleared his throat,

"How have you been, Callista?"

She crossed her arms casually around her waist,

"Fine, fine. Won't you sit down? Or have something to drink?"

Towering over the fragile young woman, Corvo thought it best to take a place by the table. Callista sat across from him. She could not had been much over twenty, although her slightly haughty demeanour could have fooled otherwise. Her light eyes looked tired but not in the conventional sense. Those eyes had seen too much pain and death. Still, she was an attractive woman and Corvo could not fathom how Daud and her came to be, if they had indeed. Despite curiosity he knew better than to ask.

Callista fussed with leaves of a plant which stood on the table.

"I don't have much to do lately", she sighed, resigned, "People aren't exactly looking for tutors right now. But enough about me. How are you? And how is Emily?"

"That is why I'm here", Corvo replied.

Off to the side Daud fussed with the paper, as if to let them know that he was still there. He grunted loudly, but said nothing. Corvo ignored him and went on,

"On Emily's behalf I wanted to offer you back the job of her tutor. Not in a dilapidated tower or an abandoned distillery or pub, mind you, but I think you would find the conditions and fee to your approval".

Callista's face was still and for a moment he was afraid he had offended her somehow. However, her expression suddenly changed, all mirth, as she stood up.

"Are you serious?", She laughed, clearly having a difficulty with believing the fortune that fate bestowed upon her. Corvo smiled in confirmation.

Callista flailed her arms around as she paced. 

"Of course I accept! I was secretly hoping for that but I didn't believe it could come true! The tutor of the Empress! Daud, did you hear that? Isn’t it wonderful?"

The man made a throaty noise, his face hidden behind the newspaper. Callista grimaced and went over to him to reprimand him. She smacked the assassin's left hand.

"Manners", she huffed, clearly losing her patience with him. Daud only glared at her but that did not intimidate the woman. Corvo could barely contain laughter.  
Callista turned back to face Corvo and so she did not see Daud curse soundlessly. She smiled warmly at the Lord Protector.

"I think we ought to celebrate my new job".

"I don't believe we have the time now, unfortunately, but if-"

Callista's brow furrowed,

"I won't have any of that! You stay here and I'll get something from the kitchen".

Before Corvo could object she had already shot out of the room. He was not exactly sure what had just happen and how this frail creature managed to have her way against him and Daud. A tutor against two assassins with supernatural abilities...

Daud chuckled putting down the newspaper. He looked over to check whether Callista was out of line of hearing.

"This woman is a pain in the..", he whispered, "..head".

Corvo eyed the man looking for signs of any emotions. He found none.

"Do we really have to stay for dinner?", Corvo murmured putting a hand to his forehead.

Daud shrugged.

"Unless you want to risk her anger... But you don’t want to do that", the man clapped Corvo on the back.

There was no choice. They stayed for dinner. 

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Somehow Callista managed to keep the ordeal of a shared meal from being awkward. The way she spoke, so easily and without restraint, brought about an atmosphere of long acquaintance despite the true nature of their common past. Corvo would have enjoyed the good food, drinks and pleasant company if not for the lingering feeling that all this was a waste of time. Having thought that he would be back the same day he had not informed Emily of his excursion. Now he doubted that he would return before the next dawn and this would surely worry the young Empress.

The lightness of the conversation made him all the more uneasy as he remembered the events of earlier that day... Having been attacked by the darkness... His arms continued to throb painfully but to his astonishment, simultaneously, the pain was dim, distant, and it was effortless to put it out of mind. Still, Corvo was vigilant enough to ask Callista for bandages, for himself and for Daud. She was angry to discover his unattended wound. He was angry to have her discover it.

The food had done its work, making them sleepy and slow. The drink made them lightheaded, although Corvo supposed that Daud's head had to be in a significantly stronger state of unbearable lightness, taking into account the amount of wine and whiskey he had had. Both men had to exhort their willpower to leave the peaceful confinement of Callista's apartment. It was already late in the afternoon. 

Corvo thanked Callista for the meal, hiding his annoyance with it as well as he could. He kissed her hand with courtesy and she promised to meet him the next day in the Tower, regarding Emily's education. Corvo bowed his head in recognition, all together not that sure whether he would make it back on time.

They decided to ascent to the roof of Callista's building and take the ‘thieves’ highway’ since it seemed that the late afternoon hours had brought the streets back to life. As thrilling as it was to see people fill the square outside, their voices vibrating through the air, which felt like Dunwall was screaming 'I'm not dead, the plague did not take me', it was also an obstacle for their further journey. 

Corvo went out into the balcony and was blinded by the sun, suspiciously low on the horizon. Daud lingered inside and Corvo felt like an easy target lit by the sunbeams. He turned to summon the man but when he heard low voices and what sounded like a kiss, he sighed with resignation and blinked onto a near air vent and onto the roof.

Alone on the roof top, bathed in warm light, hidden from the whole world, he allowed himself for a moment of weakness. Corvo sprawled on his back and closed his eyes. His thoughts wondered to Jessamine and instantly he felt sharp pain inside his chest. Against the light shining through his eyelids he saw her, bleeding out in his arms. She called out his name with her last breath.

Tell me what I should do, he pleaded into nothingness. No answer came. He longed to hear her voice, to see her smile at him...to touch her. 

Jessamine was dead. Daud had killed her. For a brief moment Corvo put out of his mind the fact that Daud had been the weapon in Burrows' hands. He clenched his fists.

"Wake up", a horse voice demanded out of the distance. Daud was hunched over him, "we need to get going".

Corvo stood up in one fluid motion as he fought the urge to kill the man on the spot. He covered his face with the mask.


	4. Chapter 4

The Flooded District greeted them with a stench of rot. It was just as bad as Corvo remembered from when he had been poisoned by those treacherous bastards, Havelock, Martin and Pendleton, and found half alive by Daud's men. The streets below them were canals of dark water, sprawling with hagfish. The water reached high, higher than first floor windows. Inside the flooded houses and where land rose above water level, the sick dwelled. This was the weepers’ district.

Corvo flinched at the memory of encountering them. These people were completely overcome by the disease. It gnawed at their bodies and minds, making them terribly dangerous. Under control of devastating pain, with blood dripping from their eyes, they attacked anyone not touched by the plague. It could be that they were simply pleading for help, however, in a twisted manner. Still, it was also possible that with the delirium caused by the sickness, they saw the healthy as a threat. Either way, stumbling upon them was a likely death from their hands and a more likely catching of the plague and the consequential death. 

It would all change soon, he reminded himself, they had the cure now. They will defeat the plague and rebuild Dunwall. No more checkpoints, walls of light, or curfew. He would make sure of that. Whatever it took to restore the city and the Empire, Corvo would aid Emily in that. 

He knew there still were people who favoured the authoritarian rule of the Lord Regent, under slogans of 'Order Shall Prevail' and ‘The Boldest Measures Are The Safest’, even amongst Emily's advisors. These men would encourage Emily to maintain the military nature of the city along with citizen invigilation. With them Corvo would have to speak privately to deprive them of such ideas. There were also men hungry for power and these saw Emily as a minor obstacle to gaining it. With them it would not simply end on a conversation. First things first, however.

They stepped to the edge of a roof which appeared to be a dead-end. Looking down they could see the cold murky water splashing against brick walls. All other buildings were too far off to jump, or even to blink onto. If Daud expected them to dive into the filth below...

"This is the place", he murmured, relieve washing over Corvo. Daud knelt on the roof tiles, searching with his gloved hands until he found a trapdoor. 

"Now we go down", he said as he pried open the latch. Corvo came up to the rim of their way in, ready to descent into the overwhelming darkness. Daud stopped him with a hand to his chest.

"It’s almost certain there will be weepers down there", he whispered with a grimace as he surveyed Corvo's face for a reaction.

"That I have anticipated", Corvo furrowed his brow. He wondered whether Daud had some sort of plan in mind. Instead of waiting to see, he announced his own, "We go in, quietly, we avoid them altogether, if need be we knock them out. Killing is only acceptable if it’s a choice of life and death. Understood?"

Daud watched him for a moment, his face unreadable. Finally, he nodded. Corvo wanted to tell the man that soon they will be able to cure these people. Anyone they would kill would be deprived of that second chance. Still, he decided otherwise. He did not need to explain himself before this murderer. 

Corvo sat on the edge of what reminded him of a gullet belonging to an unknown monster. He shifted his legs, dangling them into that throat, pushing his body further into it. Soon he was hanging by his hands, his weight pulling him down. He tried to see how far the bottom was but he could not estimate. Without seeing, or at least knowing where the floor was, he could not blink towards it. Resigned, Corvo let go.

Luckily, it was not a long way down. The Lord Protector landed on his feet, on a square of light coming from above, trying to contain the noise of the fall. A shadow swept over the patch on the floor. Daud was looking down at him.

"You ok?", he whispered.

"Yeah", Corvo replied as quietly as he could, looking around.

He was in an attic, dimly lit by spontaneous rays of light, shooting from various holes in the structure. It looked like a web of light and he did not want to imagine what sort of spider could have woven it. Apart from several pieces of old damaged and extremely dusty furniture, the attic was empty. 

Daud landed next to the bodyguard. With him came parts of debris and a cloud of dust which threatened to make them cough. 

"We have to descent two floors", he murmured shaking away from the floating particles.

"Is it above water level?", Corvo asked with suspicion but Daud nodded his head. Good. He could not imagine contacting the Outsider and struggling for breath in the cold murkiness at the same time.

Hunched, they reached the stairs off in a far corner of the attic. These were wooden and gravely touched by time and borers. They would have creaked mercilessly if they were not used by men experienced in the art of stealth. The staircase was littered by all sorts of rubbish, empty food cans, pieces of furniture, broken picture frames. They evaded stepping into it, however, the further they went the darker it became and the harder it was to avoid bumping into something. Corvo decided that he had no other choice but to use dark vision. No doubt Daud was already using his ability. 

Fisting his left hand, he summoned his gift. The mark gleamed for a moment as shadows retreated before Corvo’s eyes. Daud grabbed his arm, catching his attention. He pointed his hand at the wall, or rather at was beyond it. 

Four weepers were roaming in a room off the stairs. Their moaning reached their ears, freezing them in their steps. Still, they pushed forward, crouching slowly. Daud went first and Corvo followed. They passed open doors to the room and the Protector stole a glance at the weepers. 

They were shaking with spasms as they stood with their backs to them. With the creaking of the floor, Corvo realized that they started turning and with rising panic he crouched faster. Looking back he saw that the weepers were not alerted. They wandered the room, aimlessly. 

With his attention diverted, he stumbled into Daud. The man had stopped and at first Corvo did not understand why. Over his shoulder, however, he spotted a weeper, standing down another flight of stairs, facing away from them. Sneaking past him was not an option, taking him out silently and non-lethally was. 

Before Corvo could do anything, Daud disappeared just to appear right behind the weeper. He grabbed the man with his right hand, covering his face. His left hand flashed towards the weeper’s neck and for a split second Corvo could see the weapon that Daud somehow managed to conceal from him. He heard a quiet snap and the body of the opponent went limp. Daud held him, so that he would not hit the ground and fall down the stairs. The noise would undoubtedly draw the attention of the weepers in the room. 

Corvo did not know what exactly Daud had done, whether he had followed his orders not to kill if it was not necessary. The assassin lay the man down quite gently. They stepped over the body and went further down to reach the floor with the shrine. Daud led him into a room and they closed the doors behind.

Not sensing any more weepers around, Corvo removed his mask and grabbed Daud’s left arm to examine his weapon. It was a wristbow and it seemed like an astonishingly clever device. The mechanism reminded him of his own crossbow. Daud’s weapon, however, could be concealed under the sleeve of his jacket and, despite its small size, Corvo did not doubt its lethality. 

Daud yanked his arm back.

"I know what you’re thinking", he whispered, seeing the accusations in Corvo’s stare, "I haven’t killed him. I used a sleeping dart".

Corvo did not say anything in response. He had no way to know if the man was telling the truth but he desperately wanted to believe him. He felt guilty enough for siding with the Empress’ murderer, but if Daud had been lying all this time about not killing anymore, Corvo feared that it would crush his conscience. 

Releasing Daud from his gaze, he spotted bluish light seeping from a connected room. His companion extended an arm towards it in invitation. Corvo took a deep breath and forced himself to go to the source of the glow. The floor was covered with rat lights, but these did not shine blue. The bluish haze came from the shrine itself, although closer to it, it was almost black. The shrine was a simple table with spiked wires stretched between its legs, the top laid with off-white cloth. Dark velvet drapes hang behind it. Walls of the room were covered with writing in some kind of dark blue paint, ‘the Outsider walks among us’. Neither of them was shocked by the sight. Both Corvo and Daud had visited enough shrines in their lives, while searching for knowledge and runes, to make them immune to their sinister presence. 

They looked at each other, their faces grim, neither keen on what they were about to do. Corvo frantically searched for another way, but found none. If he was to deal with the darkness and protect Emily, he had to do this. Daud went along to protect his own life. They approached the altar and knelt before it. 

For a moment Corvo thought that nothing would happen but then the world around them disappeared. Everything grew black. Corvo would have thought that he had gone blind, if the blackness had not swirled before him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Daud knelling beside him. 

A figure approached them, brought forward by the whirling darkness. It was a young black-haired man, dressed in a brown coat and pants. There was nothing extraordinary about him except for his eyes. These had no visible pupils or irises. They were black. 

The Outsider had answered their call. 

The young man floated before them. He leaned forward, his haunting eyes judging them, penetrating their souls. Finally, he smiled slightly, but with no mirth.  
"Corvo and Daud", he uttered, his voice both common and forcefully piercing, "Just when I lose interest in you separately, you appear together before me. I have seen this possibility, of course, but it was an unlikely fork. Fascinating".

"Cut the crap", Daud spat through gritted teeth, "We’re here for answers".

Corvo feared that this would anger the Outsider, but he just grinned, amused.

"Yes, perhaps I was wrong to disfavour you, Daud", the Outsider turned to the assassin, and Corvo felt Daud tense beside him, "After all, you did save Emily Kaldwin, did you not? The whole ordeal with Delilah Copperspoon was a... nasty one. I did not interfere but watched closely".

Corvo had no idea what he was talking about. Daud saving Emily? Delilah Coppersoon? He had never heard the name before. He would need to speak with Daud afterwards...

The Outsider shifted his sickening eyes to gaze at Corvo,

"And you, Lord Protector? Against all odds you managed to put your little Emily on the throne. Quite a task. But at cost of how many lives? Countless, nameless. But let me name one of them for you. Vera Moray, or Granny Rags, as you may know her better. She had worn my mark, just like Delilah Copperspoon. Those I choose are gifted with different skills and there was another who had benefited from you defeating these women. This is your answer".

"What does this even mean?", Daud huffed, "Give us more, you bastard."

The Outsider looked from one man to the other.

"Will you not say anything, Corvo?", he pleaded with disappointment.

"I’m sick of you", Corvo hissed letting all the frustration in him form into words, "You play with my life as if it were a game. You marked me just to test me with obstacles that would brake most men. You want to see me struggle and fall, so you create new threats and throw them me. At us. All I wanted was a normal life. But it was not interesting for you. You want to watch us fight this new danger? Then you need to tell us the rules of this new game. It won’t be very spectacular to see us die, because we were oblivious, don’t you think?"

Now Daud was the one who feared the Outsider’s reaction. Corvo could see it in his eyes but he was past caring. He was at his wits end.

The Outsider heaved a laugh.

"I was wrong to discard you! You are right, it will be more interesting to have you be aware,", he paused theatrically for a moment, "You are being stalked by one bearing my mark, just like you suspected. But this one is different. He can intake the power of others, making himself stronger. This makes the others I had marked his targets. In the moment between life and death, he takes their abilities. He has done so with Vera Moray and Delilah Copperspoon, finding them almost but not quite yet dead. That is what he wishes to do to you".

"Give us a name", Corvo insisted.

"Jack Ramsey", The Outsider replied and was gone in the same instant.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "What did he do?"  
> Corvo huffed,  
> "Tried flirting with her".  
> "And what did you do?"  
> "I kindly requested him to stop", he replied but seeing Daud's disbelief, elaborated, "I arranged for him an early departure...through a closed window".  
> \----------------------------------------------

The room returned back to normal, with Corvo and Daud awkwardly kneeling before a table. They got up quickly, trying to shake away from the peculiar feeling of meeting the Outsider. It was disorienting and disheartening. Corvo felt emotionally drained but this was neither time nor place to rest. He rubbed his eyes with two fingers each.

Daud let out a long sigh,

"I bet you have some questions".

"Several... We need to talk", Corvo’s voice was rough despite his weariness. He was expecting defiance and was surprised to see Daud nod in agreement.

"Let’s get out of here first".

They got back to the roof, sneaking past the weepers. To Corvo’s astonishment the sun had already set behind the horizon and the moon was high up on a cloudless sky. It was the middle of the night and Corvo did not doubt that the Outsider had something to do with that. Bending time... 

Daud pulled himself through the trapdoor with a grunt.

"I have to get back to the Tower", Corvo stated, not wanting to leave Emily alone for a second longer. He did not even want to imagine her dread over his absence.

Daud huffed, standing beside him and stretching his back,

"It will take you hours to get back. It will be dawn by the time you do".

Corvo raised his arms in a gesture of resignation,

"So be it".

Daud took out a cigarette and with a furrowed brow turned to face Corvo.

"You will be exhausted. And alone. If Ramsey comes after your power I may not come to your rescue fast enough".

Corvo grimaced at the sarcasm in the assassin’s voice. Still, Daud had a point.

"So what do you propose?"

Daud inhaled the smoke from the cigarette and shook the ash from its ignited end.

"Be my guest. You know my house is close by", he said dismissively, yet, simultaneously, it sounded earnest and inviting. Regardless, Corvo was not convinced bearing in mind his previous visit to Daud’s house. Anyway, he would not really call it a house, more like assassin headquarters. Daud’s men had locked him up there, in a pit, and wanted to hand him over to the authorities, collecting the bounty on his head. Not a particularly pleasant visit. He had managed to escape and in the process had killed a few of Daud’s Whalers. They could still be holding a grudge against him, despite, the fact that he had spared the life of their leader. Sleeping in a building filled with unfriendly assassins was the last thing he wanted.

Daud, as if guessing what was going on inside Corvo’s head, seeing it in his sour expression, murmured,

"It’s just me in there now", his voice sounded hollow, filled with misery and it became clear to Corvo that this man was haunted by something and was facing it alone. Callista must have filled a void in his life, but she did not erase the past and it still weighted on Daud’s shoulders. Corvo felt that it was none of his business and that he was in no position to ask, but he asked anyway.

"Why?"

Daud sunk onto a brick chimney as if it were a plush chair. His eyes darted about and Corvo thought he would not answer. Daud leaned his elbow on his thigh, casually holding the cigarette, ash dropping from its end.

"We were attacked by the Overseers", he finally whispered, "Many were killed. It turned out we had been betrayed, by my second-in-command. That’s how those bastards found us. They led two assaults against us. The first one, we fought off, but the second.. Afterwards... I had no will to carry on, I dismissed those who survived".

A broken man stood before Corvo. In this moment he looked at least ten years older, frail. Corvo, despite himself, felt a pang of sorrow for the former Knife of Dunwall. It had been a long fall for him and he had lost everything in the process. This was not the same man who had killed the Empress. Corvo remembered that day too well, with too much heartbreaking detail. He remembered Daud's eyes...filled with anger, bloodlust and determination. He carefully surveyed those eyes now. Red, glassy and empty. In the last moment he stopped himself from placing a hand on Daud's shoulder in a sign of compassion. He was still learning to tolerate this man and to eliminate the constant urge to kill him. Yet, his words sounded honest and if all of this was some sort of a ploy... Daud was a magnificent deceiver.

An unsettling silence fell between the two men. Corvo cleared his throat,

"If your invitation still stands... I will be glad to accept it".

Daud nodded his head slightly and flipped the cigarette bud away with two fingers.

"Com'on then", he murmured and was already on the move.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Corvo soon started recognizing the area but he could have sworn it was even more dilapidated than he had memorized it. Daud led them to the back entrance which went directly into his room, his office. They crossed a wooden plunk connecting Daud's 'house' with an adjoining skeleton of a building. The assassin opened the window, which served him as a door, with a key he kept on a chain round his bull neck. He went in and Corvo followed. 

Inside it was pitch black. This, however, posed no obstacle to the men marked by the Outsider. Still, Daud lit several candles and it became bright enough for them not to need their Void abilities to see. Corvo was thankful for that.

The room was well conserved, despite the outside appearance of the building. At the back of his mind, Corvo thought he remembered that it had once belonged to the Chamber of Commerce... Before the whole district went to hell. Former luxury of the place was visible in the fine wooden floors, not distorted by time nor dampness of the air, in a glass wall and doors leading into the room, bearing no visible cracks, massive desks and a stunning chandelier which hang above their heads. 

This room was where he had duelled Daud and defeated him.

The Lord Protector stole a glance at Daud's work area, where he had had planned his murders. Knowing what he would see there, he felt a lump in his throat threatening to choke him. Daud had a board with the faces of his targets, Corvo had seen it. He remembered a big image of Jessamine, circled in red with a cross over her. He looked in the board's direction, anyway. To his surprise it was leaning against the wall, images facing down. Mostly, it was hidden away behind a desk, stuffed with papers and books. 

Corvo swallowed the lump, relieved not to have to see her face in this context.

Daud threw his red jacket onto a chair. Under it he wore a gray shirt, clean but with uneven folds.

"You hungry?", the man asked, rubbing a hand across his jaw.

Corvo wanted to refuse but the grumbling of his stomach gave the truth away. Daud smiled slightly.

"I'll cook something up and don't even try to resist".

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Corvo sat at a table in a small kitchen. He was so tired he barely kept his eyes open, not sure if what he was seeing was a dream or reality. With an apron tied around his waist and a lit cigarette behind his ear, Daud was stirring eggs with a spatula on a frying pan. It had to be a dream but the scrambled eggs smelled too good. 

Corvo slapped himself to wake up. They had to have that conversation and the sooner the better.

"What was the Outsider talking about? Who is Delilah Copperspoon?"

Daud glanced over his shoulder.

"A witch and a talented painter. Long story short, she wanted to possess lady Emily and rule over the Empire through her body".

Corvo's eyes went wide open, fatigue leaving no trace. 

"Don't worry, I eliminated her", Daud grunted.

The Lord Protector sighed with frustration from being oblivious to this, luckily, no longer valid threat to Emily.  
Daud scooped the eggs and portioned them onto two plates, placing one before Corvo. 

"Eat, bodyguard", he mumbled, passing him a fork.

Corvo gladly obliged. He was surprised to find it tasty. Daud was a really good cook, even though it was only scrambled eggs. His distressed thoughts returned to the Outsider's words. 

"Jack Ramsey...", he murmured, half to himself.

"What do you know about him?", Daud asked but it was obvious he already had some knowledge about the man.  
Corvo's brow furrowed.

"I've met him before. He belongs to Dunwall newly-enriched aristocracy, so he attended public occasions held by the...previous Empress. Unremarkable, really. Tried gaining favours from the Empress in a rather unacceptable manner. I weeded such ideas out of him".

Daud's fork froze mid way into his mouth.

"What did he do?"

Corvo huffed,

"Tried flirting with her".

"And what did you do?"

"I kindly requested him to stop', he replied but seeing Daud's disbelief, elaborated, "I arranged for him an early departure...through a closed window."

Daud's eyebrows went up as he chewed silently. A smirk appeared on his face.

"Ramsey landed safely in bushes", Corvo added quickly in his own defence. "I also met him at lady Boyle’s masked party. He was rather unpleasant and tried to get guards on my back. Anyway, from what I know he is into the whaling business, meat and oil extraction, however, on the verge of bankruptcy".

"Not anymore", Daud murmured mysteriously, "He recently put his greatest competitor, Rothwild, out of business using a grand scheme to turn his workers against him. He may not hold monopoly over the industry, but he is the main player now".

Corvo frowned,  
"Why would the Outsider find this man interesting enough to grant him his mark?"

Daud shrugged, putting the last spoonful of scrambled eggs into his mouth.

"Who knows. Maybe because he is so unremarkable, maybe because he wants to see what an industrious businessman can do with the powers of the Void. He likes a good show."

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Daud led Corvo to a small room with scarce furniture but with a bed which looked to him terribly inviting right now.

"Well, if you need anything", Daud said as he was leaving the room, "Come get me".

He shut the doors behind himself. Corvo was alone in the silent darkness. He needed a bath but that could wait for his return to the Tower. Slipping out of his jacket and boots, he threw himself on the bed. Corvo hid his face in a pillow. What if Daud kills him in his sleep? He could not bring himself to care. 

Corvo doubted that he will be able to get even an hour of sleep. Recently, he could not drift out of reality without the Heart next to him, whispering soothingly into his ear in a voice he knew he should recognize but somehow he could not place a face to it. The Heart had remained in his room in Dunwall Tower. He hoped that it would not be found by a maid.

With thoughts of the Heart he soon dozed off.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Never had he been in a situation where he would have to kill a man who so stubbornly refused to hurt him.   
> \-------

"Corvo", a female voice called him by his name. It distantly reminded him of the Heart, though in the disorienting feeling of waking up, he wasn't sure. Where was he? Was he in his bed at the Tower all along?

He slit his eyes open, testing the surrounding. It was indeed his room, just as he had left it.   
Corvo shifted himself up on his elbows and saw that his unfinished paperwork lay scattered across the desk.

He turned his head, expecting to see the Heart beside him on the pillow. Instead, there, on her side, facing towards him was Jessamine.

In shock mixed with surprise and terror, Corvo squirmed back, falling over the side of the bed. From his current position he could not see her but he could hear her melodic laughter. It broke something inside him. 

What looked like Jessamine crawled to the edge of the bed to peer at him. A shallow wrinkle appeared on her forehead as she furrowed her brow.

"I thought you would be more happy to see me".

Corvo felt every inch of his body trembling, trying to avert his gaze from her face yet having not enough will power to do so. He desperately tried to steady his pounding heart, not wanting to foolishly believe that this truly was his Jessamine, dressed in her well-tailored black costume. Corvo fearfully awaited the moment when her face would be replace by the Outsider's, mocking him. His heart would burst when that would happen.

"Please, leave me alone", he finally managed to utter, despite terrible dryness in his mouth, "you're not her".

Jessamine's expression turned serious,

"Corvo, I had to pay an awful price to be able to see you and I don't have a lot of time at my disposition, so the least you can do is believe it is me".

Fear of displeasing her and of being deceived fought inside him. Jessamine saw that in his distressed features.

"There isn't anything I could say to convince you, no secret only we know that I could utter, because the Outsider knows it just as well. But maybe this will convince you-"

She cupped his cheek, stroking with a finger his three-day growth of hair. Soundlessly she leaned closer and placed the sweetest and the most tender yet dizzyingly passionate kiss on his lips. Corvo, caught off guard, felt as stiff as a piece of metal. Shaking off the initial confusion, he kissed her back. This was her, it had to be her, nothing had ever felt so right and real. He slid his hand onto her neck, feeling a little bruise she had always had there. Just when he wanted to kiss her in earnest, she backed out. Corvo's face seemed feverishly hot and he had to remind himself how to breathe.

"I wish we had more time", she whispered.

Corvo finally got up from the floor and sat next to Jessamine on the bed. She squirmed and leaned her head on his lap, looking up at him. He tenderly cuffed her hair coming loose from her usual bun. How he had longed to be permitted this simple pleasure. 

"I'm so sorry, Jess", he uttered, tears welling up in his eyes.

The Empress was perplexed,

"For what, my love?"

He turned his face, ashamed.

"I failed to protect you. I am responsible for- for-"

Jessamine grabbed a fist hold of his shirt, her eyes narrowed,

"Don't you ever think that. A terrible amount of people were responsible for killing me, but you were not one of them. You did everything you could, I know that, but-"

She paused, obviously wanting to say something more but choosing not to. He saw a glint of something in her eyes. A flash of...pain?

"Corvo," she started again, "do you remember when Emily was born?".

Of course he remembered. He nodded silently, wishing just to listen to Jessamine's voice.

"Do you remember her first words, Corvo?", she paused again, looking intensely at him. He could never forget but he wanted to hear her say it, "daddy".

A lone tear traced her cheek. He brushed it off with a finger, his throat too clenched to make any sound. He saw another flash in her eye. Now he was sure that it indeed was pain.

"Whatever happens", she whispered, "protect her and you will also be protecting me, I live in her. Never forget that I love you".

Corvo wanted to ensure her of his feelings but she suddenly twisted in pain, bending in half.

"Listen to me carefully now", she uttered frantically, summoning her voice with great strength, "You have to kill Daud, do you understand me?"

She was shaking and he couldn't steady her.

"Kill him for me. Avenge my death", as she was saying that her voice sounded different, he barely recognized it. Corvo had never seen her act like this.

Jessamine reached out to him but she was becoming more distant. Despite the determination in her words, her eyes spoke otherwise. Corvo tried to hold her as she was being pulled away from him by an invisible force.

"I fulfilled my end of the bargain!", she shouted angrily at nothing in particular and turned to Corvo, "Wake up!"

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He sat up suddenly awake. Where there had been Jessamine just a second ago now was empty space. The room was dark and unfamiliar. Finally he remembered. He was in the Flooded District, in Daud's headquarters. 

Beads of sweat were trickling down his forehead. He had to kill his host, Jessamine expected him to and he could not disobey her. He had already let her down once, he could not afford to do it twice.

Corvo got out of bed, grabbing for his jacket. There his sword had been concealed. He put his fingers around its hilt, not releasing the blade, though. 

He sneaked out of the room and made his way towards Daud's office.

He did not want to kill the man, understanding him a little better. Daud had made many mistakes in the past but so had Corvo. He felt that the former assassin deserved a chance to make up for what he has done. That was all Corvo wanted for himself, not forgiveness. Still, Jessamine's words were law for him. This would be a punishment for his crimes, not a murder, he reassured himself. 

He thought about how oddly Jessamine was behaving just before she disappeared, mentioned a bargain of some kind? He shook his head, sick with confusion. 

What would happen if he killed Daud? Would he be then exposed to the darkness...Ramsey? Without Daud matters would get more complicated, yet this mere annoyance would not stop Corvo from fulfilling the Empress' will.

As he got closer to Daud's room he saw a shimmer of light coming from beyond the glass doors. Two voices rose above the haunting silence- Daud's and an unfamiliar female voice. Corvo, crouching, came closer to hear shreds of the conversation.

Behind the glass a distorted figure of Daud sat at the paper-littered desk. Before him paced a dark skinned and haired woman wearing a jacket looking much alike the assassin’s.

"No, Daud, that is not why I had come", she flashed at their host with frustration, "I am concerned about you. First you disband the Whalers and now? You entrust the man who wanted to kill you. Do you have a death wish?"

Daud was silent for a moment, surely taking a drag.

"This isn't your problem, Billie", finally he spat out, "I spared your life but I may not make the same mistake twice. You betrayed us so I would advise you to leave before I lose my temper".

She stopped her pacing,

"Delilah forced me to".

Daud huffed,

"You had wanted to tear me out of my place as the head of the Whalers long before Delilah came along".

She rubbed her neck with frustration. Corvo narrowed his eyes as he tried to see and hear better. The woman, Billie, putting her hands on the desk leaned towards Daud.

"You were never indifferent to me. I had respected you like nobody else and I cared about you. I still do. Attano will kill you when he gets the chance. Daud, please, kill him, otherwise you will be the corpse. I couldn’t live with that".

Daud stood up with a creak of a chair.

"I will not kill Attano", he announced with determination.

"I care about you, Daud", Billie pleaded, "and you had always cared about me. Do this, for me".

"I don't care about you, Billie, and I will not kill Corvo for you nor for anybody else. Leave", Daud growled.

Billie stood frozen, shocked and hurt. Suddenly she turned and without a word left through the window. Daud watched her every move, his muscles tensed. 

When she disappeared he sighed, relaxing slightly his composure. He locked the window behind her and with heavy steps made it up the short stairs to where his bed was. It squeaked under Daud's full weight being thrown at it. He did not even bother to undress.

Corvo was turning the hilt of his blade in his hand. In his mind the whole ordeal was already over. Daud with his face hidden in a pillow was snoring softly. He was not aware of Corvo towering over him, his blade pointed at the man's neck. He would try to make it quick for him, so that he would not suffer, excessively. The Lord Protector owed him that much. With resolution Corvo thrust the blade down, severing Daud's upper spine and carotid artery. Daud heaved a gurgle and a hollow grunt as a splotch of red appeared on the pillow. His body twitched and the splotch soon became a sea of blood. 

Corvo erased the image, blinking frantically. The vision brought him no solace he would expect from exhorting justice. It was plain horror, all the more with Daud's voice resounding in his head that he would not kill Corvo. 

Dragging his feet along the ground he led himself back to his room. 

"Forgive me, Jessamine", he whispered, dropping the blade numbly. It hit the floor with a piercing thud. How weak was he that he dreaded the idea of killing her murderer?

I need Daud, for now, Corvo tried to reassure himself. When he expires his usefulness I will kill him. 

He was not altogether so sure if that was the case but for now it had to be enough. All those he had killed before had wished for his death in return. His previous targets had an amusement park of blood and gore awaiting him should Corvo make a mistake and expose himself. Never had he been in a situation where he would have to kill a man who so stubbornly refused to hurt him.   
Corvo lay on the bed with open eyes, waiting for dawn.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Piero was frantic, his left eye twitched slightly,  
> "Emily...she...she-"  
> At the mention of the young Empress Corvo lost his nerve. He grabbed Piero by his shirt, lifting him slightly and pressing him against the table.  
> "Where is Emily!", he bellowed, terrifying the man. Under Corvo's icy stare, Piero could not summon his voice and was nothing more than a rag doll in his fists.   
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------

They ate breakfast in silence. Daud made omelettes with cheese and allowed himself and Corvo to consummate them only after flipping them on the frying pan several times, sending them flying almost to the ceiling. Corvo expected them to land on the floor and he supposed that Daud would be unwilling to make them go to waste or not be bothered enough to make a new portion so they would either have to go around hungry or eat them as they were. Despite those fears, the omelettes were soon safely on plates. Corvo felt sick and had to force them into his mouth.

Daud was the one who broke the silence.

"What are we going to do about Ramsey?", he mumbled in between sips of tea.

Corvo chewed on a mouthful, prolonging the response. Was he just to act as if nothing had happened last night? Certainly Daud was not going to mention his midnight visitor but Corvo never expected him to. There weren't many options for Corvo now- kill Daud or spare him and possibly eliminate him later. After eavesdropping on the two assassin's conversation and the threat of Ramsey looming over them, the first was not an option. He would concentrate on eradicating the problem of the marked lord and wall off thoughts of killing Daud, for now.

"I have to check on Emily first. I suppose you will come along?", Corvo tried making his voice sound as casual as he could.

Daud huffed,  
"I will cause I don't want Ramsey coming after me. We should go after him before he comes after us".

Corvo glared at the man,

"Do we even stand a chance?"

"I certainly hope so.  
"  
Corvo harassed his omelette with a fork,

"That’s not encouraging."

"But do we have another choice? We should pay him a visit in his mansion. Ramsey is not aware that we know he is the one behind everything, at least I hope so. Why not snoop around his house a little."

Corvo sighed,  
"As good a plan as any."

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The water level rose through the night and heavy rain clouds whirled above their heads. As they made their way from one rooftop to the next, the wind pulled at their jackets violently, trying to push them into the canals below. Corvo could barely see where he was going with the unexpected gusts sticking his hair into his eyes. He stole jealous glances at Daud's trimmed and slicked back hair. At that moment, he thought he would give anything to have those strands out of his face. 

Corvo came to regret that all too soon. Greenish clouds towering up on the sky burst open with a waterfall of cold rain. A second into the deluge and they were as wet as if the wind had actually succeeded in arranging them a bath in the murky canals. Corvo smoothed his hair back. No longer in his eyes, it was dripping with water down his neck and running in rivulets down his back. His jacket was so damp that is suddenly gained a few extra pounds making it difficult to maintain agility. 

Nevertheless, neither of them presented any verbal complaint.

Corvo knew that something was wrong even before they reached the Tower. There was no visible sign that ensured him on that, only a gut-wrenching premonition. They did not approach from the main entrance, that would only make the distance longer. Instead, with the map of the Tower inside his head, Corvo searched for the fastest route. Piero's lab.

A small courtyard with a sole water fountain led them to the backdoor of the workshop. Large dumpsters, stationed there for the load of garbage that was the side-effect of Piero’s experiments, created a tunnel leading inside. 

Numerous work tables and blackboards covered with chalk schematics were the only furniture in the dim room. Corvo eyed the stacks of notes, books and devices that lay by them. Most of them he could not even recognize. The only source of light, since the windows were covered with heavy drapes, were tanks of whale oil, gleaming blue, scattered across the room. Piero was leaning against a table which was unusually empty. The man was trembling.

Corvo crossed the room, sick with worry. He placed a hand on the inventor's shoulder. The man almost jumped, his face pale and in sheer terror. Recognizing that the threat was not a threat at all, he made a high-pitched noise.

"By the Outsider, Corvo!", he mumbled, recovering his composure, "you startled me. You can't go sneaking up on people like that."

"Piero, I wasn't-"

Piero's still pale and shaken look stopped him mid-word.

"What happened?", Corvo asked, trying to sound calm.

The man rubbed his hand, his eyes darting about.

"Everyone thought...", Piero stammered, which was all together not that unusual for him, however, seemed to be in excess right now, "nobody could find you. Everyone thought something got you too."

Corvo's eyes narrowed dangerously, intimidating the slender inventor.

"What do you mean 'got me too'?", he knew he did not like one bit where this was going.

Piero was frantic, his left eye twitched slightly,

"Emily...she...she-"

At the mention of the young Empress Corvo lost his nerve. He grabbed Piero by his shirt, lifting him slightly and pressing him against the table.

"Where is Emily!", he bellowed, terrifying the man. Under Corvo's icy stare, Piero could not summon his voice and was nothing more than a rag doll in his fists. Seeing this, Daud stepped in, putting a hand on Corvo's shoulder.

"Let him go", he whispered softly, reassuringly.

Corvo had forgotten about the assassin’s existence, he was so preoccupied with Piero. Daud, nevertheless, had tagged along, some distance behind. The Lord Protect unclenched his fists from Piero's shirt, letting him drop dully to the floor. He took a step back to let the timid man have some space, hoping it was enough to compel him to talk. Daud, however, gently pushed Corvo further back and the bodyguard obliged but with a vicious glare.

"Piero, is it?", Daud calmly addressed the inventor who seemed to be regaining some colour to his face,'"please, tell us what happened."

Piero took a long breath before he finally spoke,

"Lady Emily has vanished", he stole a worried look at Corvo but Daud shielded him from the Lord Protector's rising rage, "A servant went in this morning to help her get dressed but found an empty room. Major Curnow is investigating the matter as we speak. I wanted to help too, however, I was told that my assistance was in vain and was sent away. Can you imagine, Mister..... I'm sorry I didn't quite catch your name".

In that moment of distraction, Corvo realized that Piero had no idea who he was talking to. His industrious mind was always so occupied with matters of science and progress that he lacked the common knowledge of a factory worker. Piero was oblivious that he was babbling to the Knife of Dunwall.

Daud opened his mouth to speak but Corvo was faster,

"This is Benjamin, a friend".

Piero nodded, mumbling the made up name back to himself. He might not have recognized Daud's face but his name was somewhat legendary and even the inventor, disinterested in mundane matters, would know it.

"I'm sorry, Piero, I didn't mean to rough you up so", Corvo spread his arms in resignation. He had managed to contain the storm inside him. Tearing the place apart would not aid Emily. Piero waved his hand dismissively.

"Yes, yes. No harm intended. Better go see Curnow now, preposterous to think that I would hold a grudge against you, Corvo".

Corvo nodded, glad with Piero's response,

"Mind if I leave my friend with you?"

Piero was already busy with some test-tubes, surely trying to drag his attention away from the problems at hand. He mumbled something that sounded like 'not at all'.  
Corvo made his way towards the doors but Daud sternly grabbed his arm.

"You cannot leave me here", his confidential whisper was not a plea but a reproach.

"The guards will recognize you and you will just cause more problems."

Daud’s expression was sour.

"And what if you need my help?"

Corvo raked his fingers back through his hair,

"In such circumstances the extent of the commotion will alert you."

Before Daud could pose any more complaints Corvo was already running.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He needed to cross several side corridors, used by the servants, before he reached the grander official ones. Corvo remembered how when he had first come to Dunwall, all those years ago, he had felt uneasy in the royal parts of the Tower and preferred to sick to the servant areas. The plush carpets, silky couches and paintings thrice his size had made him feel timid and out of place. It had seemed to him as if he had been pretending to be someone else, lying, and the guards who had eyed him with suspicion would throw him out having realized that he was a nobody and did not deserve to walk the grandness of Dunwall Tower. His responsibilities as a bodyguard to Jessamine, who was twelve at that time, forced him, however, to quickly get used to the grandeur. Also, it had quickly become apparent that the guard's mistrust was rooted in the mere fact that Corvo was a foreigner and in their confined minds that posed a possible threat. 

The people he passed sprinting through corridors, first servants, than an increasing number of guards, made no attempt to stop him. From their blurred faces he deduced that the whole Tower had already known what had happened. This was unacceptable but unavoidable. If the first person to discover Emily's absence was a maid, the news would have spread like a wild fire. He really ought to remedy that somehow in the future. It infuriated Corvo that he must had been the last one to find out. He started doubting his ability to be the Lord Protector to anybody...

The further his legs got him, the more crowded it became, as if seeing Emily’s empty quarters was everyone’s responsibility. The slow progress made him scream inside and twist with the urge to blink forward but that would have only caused a scene. Resigned, he pushed through the mass, bellowing, 'make way!'. Seeing the Lord Protector, despite the rumours that he had also disappeared, filled many with relief and hope. They abidingly moved aside. 

Not much further. Corvo's thoughts, scattered in rising panic, caught onto something he hadn't realized before. Every time he and Daud had invited the possibility of Ramsey's assault, whether by splitting up or merely discussing it, the former assassin had only offered remarks regarding Corvo's safety. He had never demanded the Lord Protector to stand by him, insuring his own security. This time it had been the same. Daud had voiced his concern with the possibly of needing to aid Corvo, never mentioning a situation in which he would be the one to require it. Corvo remembered the ripped flesh on Daud's arm. Alone, the man was just as prone to Ramsey as was Corvo. He couldn’t begin to fathom what was going on inside the assassin's head.

He reached the doors of Emily's quarters. The staggering mass gathered there blocked his way. Why they were crowding so was beyond Corvo. All this time he was fully concentrated on confining the fury mixed with worry inside him, however, having to raise his voice to force for himself a passage, erased all the restrains.

"Step aside, make way for the Lord Protector!", he bellowed with such inner conviction and with a dangerous edge in his tone that all people instantly went quiet and rushed to move out of his way. He boldly stepped through the living tunnel. The two guards keeping the mass from pouring inside, flung the doors open for the Lord Protector without a word, and shut them behind him.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Watch yourself around those aristocrats, they are a sleazy lot, though I’m sure that you know it all too well," he said with a sad smirk, paused, and added, "Does all of this have something to do with that mark on your hand?"  
> Corvo grimaced, taken aback by the man's intuition and perceptiveness,  
> "I suppose, to some extent..."  
> \---------------------------------------------------

The quarters were just slightly less crowded. In the outer room with the grand table several servants were queuing to a guard to testify. Corvo knew it was a waste of time, they had seen nothing. Other men were inspecting closely every inch of the room, no doubt looking for any clues as to what might have happened. The situation was the same in Emily's bedroom and, simultaneously, so much worse. It stroked Corvo as something profane for all these men to be in the Empress' rest chambers. 

In addition, he spotted several Overseers in their grotesque golden masks and gray uniforms with golden elaborate designs of the Abbey. One of them had the damned music box, luckily, turned off. When they spotted him, he tugged at his left sleeve to conceal his hand. The masks hid their face expression, making Corvo terribly uneasy. He resorted to ignoring the fanatical lot and made his way to Geoff Curnow, standing in the middle of this blizzard talking with one of the Overseers. 

Corvo heard scraps of conversation,

"I understand, Overseer Jameson", Curnow was saying with distress, hands crossed on his chest, "but I cannot just send away all my men because, as you claim, they disturb your men's work. The guards are doing their job."

"They won't find anything", Overseer Jameson hissed, "It is clear that black magic is at work here. This is our problem to tackle."

Corvo had to agree with the man that guards were in vain here. On the other hand, the Overseers were not welcome either. Curnow simply huffed, not intimidated by the glaring golden mask.

"Maybe yes, maybe no", he turned his head and spotted Corvo, "By the Outsider! Lord Protector, it is a relief you are unharmed! Nobody could find you."

Curnow sounded sincere and Corvo squeezed the man's reached out hand. The Lord Protector granted Overseer Jameson with a slight nod. The Overseer straightened haughtily,

"I am glad that you have decided to finally join us, Lord Protector", his voice was overflowing with sarcasm. Seeing that his attempt at provoking Corvo had failed, he tried again, "Where have you been, Lord Protector, when our fair Empress was kidnapped?"

Corvo clenched his fists and glared at the Overseer with such intense fury that the man staggered back half a step.

"I advise you, Overseer", Corvo spoke through gritted teeth, "to take your brothers and your Seven Strictures back to the Abbey because I cannot guarantee your safety here."

Overseer Jameson huffed, 

"We have the duty to protect the people from black magic and that is what we are going to do."

It was apparent that the Overseers were growing uneasy seeing their leader arguing with the Lord Protector. If they turned on the music box now, Corvo would be defeated. The purpose of the device was to overwhelm those gifted by the Outsider, or heretics as the Abbey addressed them. He was hopeful that they had not brought the cursed thing having himself in mind. Corvo did not trust them one bit and he had to be bold if he wanted them out. Right now he wished for nothing else. 

Placing a hand on his hip he made sure the Overseer had a good view of his blade.

"Perhaps I'm not making myself clear enough", he brought his voice to a sinister whisper, "either you leave willingly or I will have you removed. You are surely aware of that it is within my capacity and authority to order."

Overseer Jameson glared at Corvo, undoubtedly with murderous intent hidden behind his mask. Knowing though that he had to obey, he was humiliated and had to control himself immensely not to do anything possibly regrettable later. Finally, he spoke, spitting out words like daggers,

"We will leave, Attano, but this isn't over. We will be watching you, closely."

Corvo raised his arm to indicate the door and said dismissively,

"Please do."

Jameson shot Corvo one last stare and led his brothers out. Without their presence in the room, he could relax slightly and he was sure that Curnow, too, was less tense. The major was smirking under his nose.

"You've certainly stepped on his pride", he said appraisingly but then turned serious, "also, you have just made some dangerous enemies."

Corvo shrugged,

"Inevitably. They had never liked me anyway", he mumbled and as Curnow shook his head in dismay, Corvo added, "please, send your men away, Major."

"Why?"

"First of all, to insure that the Overseers don’t try anything stupid, secondly, to tend to those crowds in the corridors and thirdly, because they are useless here."  
Corvo knew that the Major would oblige, yet he continued, "I need to talk with you in private. The less people know about all of this the better."

Without a word of dispute, Curnow ordered all the guards out, instructing them to clear the corridors and keep an eye on the Abbey men. 

The chambers emptied and silence befell on them. The two men stood alone in the Empress' bedroom. The Major fidgeted with buttons of his smart uniform.

"What is going on, Corvo?", he said with concern that he rarely admitted to himself. Corvo sighed, taking time to investigate the room. He saw nothing out of place, no clues as to what could have happened to Emily. He rubbed his forehead with resignation.

"I was hoping you would tell me", Corvo uttered and self-accusingly added, "I wasn't even here."

Geoff Curnow leaned his hip against one of the bed posts.

"I'm sure you had your reasons. Don't blame yourself."

Corvo collapsed into a chair, dreadfully wishing for a sip of any alcohol, knowing he would not find it in Emily's room. Instead, there were plenty of her drawings around causing a pang of pain in his chest. He did not want to examine them closer lest he would see something that would only make his dread worst. 

"It seems like all I do is make the wrong choices, Geoff."

Curnow clasped his hands behind his back and took a step towards the miserable Lord Protector.

"I trust your judgement, Corvo, perhaps you should trust it too. I got to know you better when we travelled together around the Isles and I learned that you are a man of honour, solely aimed at protecting the Empress. Nothing has changed since then, except the Empress... I know you trust me too. I also know that I owe my promotion, not only to major but also to the head of Tower guards, to you."

Corvo blinked slowly,

"I don't know what-"

Geoff huffed,

"I know you cannot admit to that, just don't deny it."

Corvo was silent and that had to suffice for an answer. He had put in a word in Geoff’s favour but had done so only because he was sure of the man’s character and ability to perform the responsible job. It had not been a favour or any personal attachment. 

Avoiding Curnow’s eyes, his own gaze fell on a red envelope which seemed somehow out of place sitting on a drawer. He reached for it and in shock realized that it was addressed to him in a neat curvy writing. The seal was broken, it had already been opened. Geoff seeing it in Corvo's hands grunted,

"I opened it. I'm sorry, Corvo, but I though it an odd thing and that it could tell us where Lady Emily is. Turns out it’s just a stupid party invitation."

Corvo's brow furrowed. He opened the letter and indeed found an elaborate invitation in golden ink to a masked ball...signed by lord Ramsey. Why did it always have to be masked balls... He looked up at Geoff. The man had a hunch, no doubt about it. His face must have gone pale because Geoff leaned towards him with worry stealing into his expression.

"What is it, Corvo?"

The Lord Protector cleared his throat and picked his words with great precision,

"We are dealing in dark matters, Geoff. You said you trust me, so please, trust me on this. You cannot help me in getting Emily back but I will have someone aid me so you shouldn’t worry. We have some... experience in this and anyone else would be in terrible danger. Please, maintain order in the Tower until we return and you will be helping immensely. There is no one else I can entrust with this."

He saw that his words weight on Geoff. He squinted,

"So you will be going to this party?"

Corvo gave the man a single nod. The less he knew the safer he would be. Already he knew too much having read the invitation.The Lord Protector stood up from the chair and Geoff placed an arm on his shoulder, 

"Watch yourself around those aristocrats, they are a sleazy lot, though I’m sure that you know it all too well", he said with a sad smirk, paused, and added, "Does all of this have something to do with that mark on your hand?"

Corvo grimaced, taken aback by the man's intuition and perceptiveness,

"I suppose, to some extent..."

Geoff squeezed Corvo’s hand,

"I trust you, friend", Geoff said without hesitation, "but I hope someday we will have a serious conversation."

The sides of Corvo's lips rose slightly, intended to be a small smile but coming out as a sour expression.

When the plague had hit Gristol, Corvo had been sent with Geoff Curnow, a captain back then, to seek out help. The voyage had been a long and unnecessary one. Neither Tivia, Morley nor even his home Serkonos had been willing to aid Gristol in fighting the mysterious disease. Instead, they had decided to blockade the Capital Island. The failed mission, however, had allowed for the two men, mostly strangers before, to get to know each other and, consequently, they had started to think of one another as something of friends. They had never really acted in the capacity. Perhaps if it wasn't for the Empress' murder they could have been close friends today... 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In spite of being back in the familiar Tower, Corvo felt terribly lonely, as if excluded from life. A similar state had haunted him while living at the Hound Pits and working for the Loyalist conspiracy but he had thought it would pass as soon as the ordeal was over. 

It had not, it had only become worse. There were so few people he could regard as friends and with Emily gone, he was heartbroken. She was Corvo's excuse to continue living despite the hell he had been through.

Accompanied by such sombre thoughts he made his way, through pleasingly empty corridors, back to Piero's workshop. He entered to see the inventor investigating Daud's wristbow. Bent over the assassin's stretched out arm, Piero's glasses kept sliding off his nose and he kept rearranging them irritably. Daud seemed rather uninterested in what the other man was doing.

"This is marvellous, Mr. Benjamin!", Piero exclaimed with excitement, "I should make one of these, of course adding some custom made improvements, for Corvo."

Corvo grunted, not spotted by either man,

"That won't be necessary. I'm quite satisfied with my crossbow."

Interrupted, they looked up to see him approach. Daud dropped his arm to Piero's disappointment. How in the world did the squirrely scientist get Daud to show him his weapon in the first place was beyond Corvo.

"Oh Corvo!", Piero sighed, "you cannot resist progress! It’s unscientific! And unnatural!"

Corvo waved his hand dismissively, not wanting to get into a pointless argument. Instead, he gave Daud a confidential look. They stepped to the side leaving Piero drawing frantically on a blackboard. A white cloud of chalk submerged him.

"I need to talk to you", Corvo whispered leaning to Daud, "meet me in my room."


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Go back home, get some fancy clothes", Corvo mumbled, trying to calm himself, "Get a mask."  
> Daud snorted, leaning back on a chair and crossing a leg on a thigh.   
> "I'll get two masks. You're not going to another ball in your scarecrow. Its fame will jeopardize the mission. All those nobles may not take to it kindly to have the infamous assassin among them."  
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Daud was already waiting for Corvo by the time the Lord Protector reached his quarters. The assassin had used his usual path of roofs, balconies and air vents to arrive early. Judging by the way his hair stuck to his head the rain had not subsided. Corvo had taken the traditional way, arriving second, yet dry, and was greeted by a glass of whiskey being waved at him.

"I figured you may need it", Daud said offering the alcohol to him. Corvo took it eagerly, despite a pang of annoyance at the man for making himself feel at home with the Lord Protector's drinks.

The glass clinked softly as it rubbed against the buttons on Corvo’s sleeve. 

Daud raked back his wet hair, water dripping from his jacket. He reached for his own glass, waiting for him on a table by an open bottle. 

Corvo's boots thumped loudly on the wooden floor as he walked towards the window. Raindrop rivulets were chasing each other down the pane, distorting the view outside. It was pouring just as badly as if the sky had burst open. Corvo could identify himself with the weather.

Ringing of Daud's glass riveted his attention.

"Benjamin!", the assassin snapped disapprovingly, "you could have picked any name yet you chose the name of the founder of the Abbey of the Everyman".

Corvo raised his eyebrows. He hadn't realized that.

"It is Holger's name, isn't it!"

Daud smirked taking a spit of whiskey,

"I'm sure the Outsider must have found the irony amusing".

Corvo chuckled against the rim of his glass, the strong dizzy aroma burning his nostrils,

"Perhaps this will score us some extra points in his game", he was babbling and it wasn't the drink, he had barely touched it. 

Corvo supposed that worry about Emily and the inability to act instantly was slowly driving him into a state of nervous wellbeing. He should have known just as he had been struck by the premonition of trouble that Ramsey was at the core of it. The thought of Emily in his grasp, afraid and confused, banging her little fists against him, was awaking inside him hellish rage. Simultaneously, it was drowned by a sickly numbness. With Ramsey drawing the young Empress into this, he made it more personal than simply laying in wait for Corvo's abilities. He had crossed the line and would pay the highest price.

Corvo realized he had frozen still with the glass stubbornly stuck half way to his mouth. Daud was watching him, his brow drawn down. 

"What did you find out?", he asked, breaking the silence and Corvo’s stupor.

Corvo turned on the heel of his boot to face the man and with faked enthusiasm waved around his whiskey hand,

"We are going to a party", he made his accent sound posh but with a rough edge to it, "I'm quite sure you'll find your invitation waiting for you back at your place."

Daud's eyebrows shot up wrinkling his forehead deeply.

"Ramsey's organizing a party today?"

"No, it's tomorrow at 8"

Daud huffed refilling his glass, occasionally glancing at Corvo, dismayed,

"Lovely", his horse voice made it sound anything but, "What do we do until then?"

Corvo shrugged. What would he do? He would go sick and mad from the wait. The grimace on his face compelled Daud to get up and fill up his drink. Looking at the steady miniature waterfall of yellowish liquid, his mind raced. The Empire was on a verge of havoc without the Empress and it was Corvo, a Serkonian and not even a noble, who had to ensure that matters did not get out of hand until he retrieved Emily. Despite the many advisors and the Parliament, he couldn't trust their judgement and their incorruptibility. It was the figure of the Empress who was the back bone of the Empire. 

Fate had bestowed upon the Lord Protector, who never even wished to dirty his hands with politics, the power many feverishly sought.

"Go back home, get some fancy clothes", Corvo mumbled, trying to calm himself, "Get a mask".

Daud snorted, leaning back on a chair and crossing a leg on a thigh. 

"I'll get two masks. You're not going to another ball in your scarecrow. Its fame will jeopardize the mission. All those nobles may not take to it kindly to have the infamous assassin among them."

Corvo leaned a hip on the table,

"I'm hardly the most famous killer in Dunwall, Mr Knife", he mocked.

Just when Daud wanted to snap something back there was a knock on the door. The assassin pleadingly looked at Corvo, not to have to go out into the deluge. The Lord Protector, with a roll of his eyes and a sour scowl on his face, gestured for Daud to hide himself by the grand posted bed.

Corvo slowly approached the door giving Daud the time to adjust himself in his hideout. 

Outside waited Callista Curnow, rubbing her hands restlessly. When she saw Corvo she flung into his arms, tears streaming down her face. Her chest heaved heavily against him, her body shook with sobs under his hand sympathetically placed on her back. Corvo was so surprised to have a crying woman jump into his arms, he couldn't summon his voice. Swallowing back her tears, she wailed softly,

"I heard about Emily. That poor child!"

She pushed herself gently away from him and regained her composure. Straightening the folds of her dress, Callista spotted Daud crawling out from behind the bed. 

She sniffled her nose as her brows elevated.

"What in the Void are you doing under Corvo's bed, Daud?", her voice was slightly horse from crying.

Daud's face reddened with humiliation. He resorted to a flippant remark,

"What are you doing in Corvo's arms?"

Callista's heated expression made him regret his words,

"Crying!", she shouted and was undoubtedly heard on the corridor. Corvo attempted to hush her but she would not listen, "Emily gets kidnapped and you just sit on your asses?!", she surveyed the room and her eyes fixed on the unfinished whiskey. Appalled, she drew in a breath and would surely bellow at them with such intensity that it would alert the Tower Guards from the whole floor if not for Daud who had blinked towards her and covered her mouth. Callista's eyes bulged out, first in shock then in rage at having him silence her. 

She shoved Daud back and was ready to continue the sermon aimed at their presupposed depravity. Daud did not give up and kissed her. This had finally forced her to capitulate. Callista went limp as he grabbed her arms. Corvo watched them for a second, then grunted to remind them of his presence. Daud let go of her and stepped back,

"See? She's all quiet now", he smirked but Callista glared angrily at him. 

They sat her down in a plush chair. She did not fight them but looked offended and unwilling to talk anymore.

"Callista, I know you are worried about Emily. I am dead worried. But we know where she is and we were just discussing how to get her back."

She granted him a softer look,

"You know how to save her?", it sounded like a plea.

The two men eyed each other,

"More or less", Corvo murmured and cleared his throat, "I will not let Emily be harmed, if need be I will die to ensure her safety."

Callista nodded and swallowed heavily,

"I'm sorry, I overreacted".

Daud snorted,

"Unusual for you to apologize."

She elbowed him in the ribs forcing him to step back with a grunt. 

"Maybe you should make sure Callista gets back home safely", Corvo suggested watching the two of them with dismay. How they reminded him of himself and Jessamine...

Callista stood up looking expectantly at Daud. He fidgeted with his jacket, his face unreadable. 

"Are you sure about this?", he directed the question at Corvo and obviously did not have in mind taking Callista home. Daud was wondering whether splitting up and making themselves vulnerable was a good idea yet he was speaking cryptically. Corvo was glad that he had not drawn Callista into the whole ordeal. She was better off oblivious.

"He wouldn't have gone to such lengths just to finish so...unspectacularly."

Daud grimaced,

"For the sake of everything, I hope you are right", he offered Callista an arm and led her over to the balcony. Corvo had been curious whether Daud had made his abilities known to the governess. He had his answer. Daud planned on taking Callista on the blinking dizzying roof spree.

"Wait just a second, Callista", Corvo stopped them mid-step, "I'm sure the guards saw you enter and may be...surprised, if they never see you exit."

Callista clasped a hand to her forehead untangling herself from Daud.

"I will meet you outside", Daud murmured to her then turned to Corvo, "I'll see you tomorrow before 8 at the place."

Corvo nodded but the man was already gone. Callista stood calmly as if an assassin disappearing into thin air was her daily affair. Corvo supposed it could well be.  
She pointed a finger at him and with determination uttered,

"Find her, bring her back."

He bent and took that pointing hand into his own and kissed it respectably.

"I will", he uttered against her skin.

She offered him a small smile, turned and left.

Alone, he allowed a wail to escape, filling it with all his misery. He collapsed into a chair by his desk. Papers with printed and handwritten letters scattered before him spun in his head. He pushed them aside. All conspiracies and notes from high officials were currently irrelevant. Corvo had to find a way to remedy the wildfire spread of the news that the Empress was missing. Saying it was a lie would not convince people, too many of the Tower staff could claim it false. Perhaps truth would be enough to keep common folk at bay. He picked up his quill, a gift from Jessamine, and dipped it in black ink. The nib touched paper and words appeared from under it.

"It is true that the Empress Emily Kaldwin is currently absent from Dunwall Tower. However, the rumours claiming her location to be unknown are false. Her return is imminent and if it will prolong, state matters will be run be a Lord Regent picked by the Parliament."

Corvo shook his head at the note. Why couldn't it be easy.

The news would have to be announced to the city through the grand speakers, lest people decide to do anything foolish in the absence of the authority. He folded the paper, put it in a tube and sealed it. 

Rumbling in his stomach reminded him that it must have been already afternoon. He could call for a maid to bring him something but he shuddered at the idea. The confinement of his room and lack of movement was starting to make him restless. A trip down to the kitchen would allow him to stretch his legs and clear his head.

And later? Corvo was already waiting with anticipation for the obstacles he had yet no knowledge of.


	10. Chapter 10

Glad to leave the retreat of his chambers he stepped outside just to be intercepted by a butler. The old man was as tall as Corvo and his sunken tired eyes looked like they have seen their share of Tower secrets. 

"Excuse me, sir", his voice was seemingly stronger than his age-crooked body, "but the Prime Minister has requested to see you."

Corvo slanted his shoulders,

"Now?", he did not quite manage to conceal his irritation.

The butler’s face was stone still,

"His Lordship is waiting in the library", he said with no emotion.

Corvo sighed heavily, raking his hair back. The Prime Minister requested to speak to the Lord Protect! Unheard of. Lately, the number of unprecedented situations was sharply increasing. If only Jessamine could see him now... She would laugh, of course, at the idea of him struggling to handle affairs she had dealt with daily and with such grace. If she was alive, he would have never needed to pretend that he was fit to maintain order in the country. He would have happily confined himself simply to protecting her. But alas...

The butler was looking expectantly at him, unsure if he was to leave or wait. Corvo finally handed him the sealed tube,

"I will see him shortly. Would you take this to the radio tower?"

The butler nodded,

"Very well, sir", he was clearly unpleased by being given a task a common delivery boy could perform. Corvo frankly did not care about servant hierarchy. He had neither the time nor will to occupy himself with such trivialities. He left the butler standing stiffly with fingers wrapped around the tube. Corvo turned the corner and reached the top of the stairs.

Descending, he thought about the morrow that awaited him. How would he arrive at the party? He could take a railcar but that would be too obvious. Knowing that the Empress is missing everyone will closely watch the Lord Protector. He had to avoid prying eyes while a railcar would draw attention since few could afford the luxury of using them and their passing through town never went unnoticed. On the other hand, the sky promised more rain and so, if he resorted to the usual roof path, he would arrive looking like a wet cat. Hardly ball material unless Daud would get him a cat mask. The assassin wouldn’t miss an opportunity to have his revenge after being called Benjamin.

There was one he could trust with getting him confidentially to Ramsey's manor, yet Corvo wasn't sure where to find him. A good bet would be the Hound Pits pub but first he had to deal with the Prime Minister and before that with the grumbling of his stomach.

At the bottom of the stairs was a small gallery. A portrait of Euhorn Kaldwin, his hands majestically clasped on his lap, was watching the Lord Protector, judging him. From his expression Corvo deduced that the late Emperor, Jessamine's father, was not pleased. How could he be? Averting his gaze from the paintings, some of them of Sokolov's brush, he turned to servant passages, further away from the library. 

The maids, menservants and technicians he passed-by bowed their heads with respect and greeted him with a 'Good day, Master Attano' or with a single 'Lord Protector'. Corvo saw that they were surprised to see him outside the royal premises. Although he often used the side halls, the servants could not get used to meeting someone of high bearing down where they resided. 

Another flight of stairs led him directly into the kitchen. Inviting aromas threatened to twist his gut and Corvo was not that sure whether he was hungry or whether he was more nauseous. Peeking in he didn’t see anybody and so he made his way to a piece of bread he had spotted.

Pots and pans with various viands beyond the imagining of common folk were at that moment no match for a simple loaf. Corvo leaned his back against the wall and nibbled on his game. 

The amount of food in the kitchen was staggering. Stacks of Tyvian pears, Serkonan grapes and Morely apples filled several bowls and trays, not to mention the boxes that blocked the way into the pantry. That was only the fruit, not having mentioned all other products. Corvo supposed it was enough to feed the whole Tower and still there would be some left over. Perhaps he should look into supplies and-

No. No more for now, please.

He was still chewing on his bread when a young cook's assistant strode into the kitchen. She did not spot him, instead went over to stir the contents of a large iron pot, humming under her nose. Corvo froze still with a large bite in his mouth, threatening to choke him. Diagonally across from her he could see plainly her pleasant face, her brow slightly drawn. He thought he recognized her, yet he did not know her name. With an army of servants it was virtually impossible to familiarize himself with all of their names, he had never bothered to try. Instead, Corvo had learned their faces. After all, it was a part of his job to know people around the Empress.

The girl had light brown hair, loosely tied into a bun with which she constantly fidgeted. She brought up the spoon to her mouth to have a taste. Her eyes finally picked Corvo out of the shadows. The spoon dropped from the young woman's hand, ringing metallically on the floor. She squealed in fright, bringing her arms up to her chest. She wanted to call out for help but suddenly she recognized him. He managed to swallow the mouthful.

"By the Outsider's eyes, Master Attano", she breathed heavily trying to steady herself, a hand over her heart, "you nearly scared me to death!"

Feeling ill at ease he rubbed his hands in an attempt to clean them from bread crumbs. It must have looked as if he had been stalking her. Corvo felt his cheeks burning,

"Do forgive me madam'" he managed leaving the safety of the shadowed nook. She giggled almost inaudibly at being addressed with a title and by the Lord Protector at that.

"No, no", she protested with a grin stealing into her features, "I should be the one to apologize for all the racket I caused. It's just that I wasn't expecting anyone down here. Certainly not the Lord Protector."

Her warm smile made him feel foolish,

"I was hungry", he murmured and felt all the more imprudent. She looked down at the piece of bread he was still holding in his hand.

"I can see that, but you should've called for a proper meal rather than come down here and nibble on dry bread like a horse-", she covered her face, ashamed and shocked with herself for having said something so disrespectful. Corvo laughed earnestly, her gracelessness making himself feel less of a fool. That eased her composure. She frantically wanted to apologize but he would not have it.

"I should come down here more often", Corvo said smiling down at the timid woman, "I'm certainly enjoying your gleeful company". 

He did mean it. It was better than dealing with high ranking officials. She grinded slightly, coyly,

"I'm sure the company of ladies and lords would suit you more."

Her words reminded him of the Prime Minister waiting for him in the library. Surely, the wait must have irritated him by now.

"Yes, well, unfortunately I have to go and see to official business now, so, please do excuse me-"

She huffed,

"You cannot go and meet anyone important looking like this!"

Corvo frowned not knowing what the woman was talking about. She stepped closer towards him, perhaps too close and looked up into his eyes. She raised her thin delicate hand and with it quickly wiped the front of his jacket. 

"You had bread crumbs", she murmured and turned away from him. The assistant returned to her work preparing the meal, leaving Corvo dumbfounded and blushing. 

Women, he sighed, quickly walking out.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Prime Minister forced a smile when Corvo entered the room. He thought he heard the man whisper 'finally' with irritation.

"Thank you for coming to see me, Lord Protector", the Prime Minister's voice bore no hint of sarcasm but as a politician he had to have that well trained. 

He was wearing a light suit made from the finest fabric looking very at home in the grand library, lit by the fireplace and a lamp. Shadows slid across his face making him look older and grim, though surely he was sombre enough even without the playing lights. Corvo bowed his head, hands clasped behind his back,

"It is an honour, Prime Minister", Corvo uttered quietly. What was the man's name? Shit. Lord...Lord P...Powell, he thought, he hoped. Corvo took the risk, "What can I do for you, Lord Powell?"

The Prime Minister's face showed no trace of appal that the name he had been addressed with was not his. Corvo sighed with relief. 

Lord Powell straightened, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You can imagine that as the head of the Parliament I am concerned by the news that reached me. I also speak on behalf of all members of the Parliament when I say that the situation is grave and we are all very worried about the wellbeing of our fair Empress", He paused expecting Corvo to say something, but since he remained silent, the lord continued, "Would you care to explain what exactly is going on, Lord Protector?"

Corvo tried to look sure of himself,

"The Empress will be back by tomorrow, late in the evening", he offered no more explanation and Powell did not ask for him to elaborate.

"And if not?", the Prime Minister murmured forgetting his supposed concern for Emily. Despite anger at the man, Corvo had to admit that they should discuss the possibility of another interregnum. 

"In that case you will need to elect a new lord Regent", Corvo uttered, pushing back the mixture of emotions that sentence caused; hate for the man who previously held that position and fear. Fear that he will fail Emily and fear that history will repeats itself.

The Prime Minister's expression softened, he let his arms drop to his sides,

"I understand that the idea is not an encouraging one", he said sympathetically and seeing Corvo's sour expression, guessing his thoughts, added, "Lord Protector, I know you must think that the Parliament unanimously supported the former Lord Regent. I admit, initially yes, but in the end he had cheated us, just like he had cheated you."

The sincerity threatened to convince Corvo. Could he trust this man? No, but perhaps disregarding his words entirely would be another mistake. Politicians had never invited his trust. Nobility at power was such an easily corruptible lot.

Lord Powell casually rested his hip against a bookshelf, 

"We certainly wish to avoid past...misunderstandings, therefore, in good faith, I wish to propose your candidacy for the post."

Silence fell upon the room, disturbed only by the crackling of fire. Corvo thought he had somehow misheard. He a Lord Regent? He would think it a joke if the Prime Minister's expression hadn't been so serious. The proposal was out of question. Corvo was neither a noble nor from Gristol. 

"But... nobody would vote for me", was all he managed too shocked to form a coherent thought.

Lord Powell grunted, a hint of a smile appearing on his face,

"You would be surprised. Your actions, with rescuing lady Emily and placing her on the throne, won you the support of many members of Parliament. You demonstrated great character."

Corvo was unsure how to respond. He decided to resort to the truth, which hovered at the back of his mind.

"If I will not manage to return with lady Emily, chances are slim that I will return at all", he murmured, trying not to sound morbid. However, he could not imagine a scenario where he lived and Emily...did not. 

The Prime Minister watched him, his face tight. Abruptly, a sad compassionate smile stole into his expression. In his eyes there was understanding and a sort of fatherly sorrow. Powell opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, apparently changing his mind. He tried again,

"Is there, perhaps, anybody you would suggest?"

Corvo’s gaze fell to the floor in thought. Was there anybody? Anybody he knew to be a good person and possessing the abilities of a leader? 

Geoff Curnow's face appeared in his mind. Yet, the Major was no noble. Neither was he, still they considered him for the position. Geoff will hate him for this...

"I can vouch for Major Geoff Curnow."

In the circumstances where they would have to elect a lord regent Corvo would most certainly be dead. Geoff couldn't hate a dead man.

The Prime Minister was taken aback by Corvo’s words,

"A major of the city watch?"

"He is the major of Tower Guards, second in command regarding security, after me. I would trust this man to perform his duties accordingly."

Lord Powell was silent in thought for a while. Shadows slid across his face making him look otherworldly. Finally, he gave Corvo a single nod of his head.

"So be it, Lord Protector, but I will add your candidacy just in case."


	11. Chapter 11

Time had passed since Corvo had been to the other side of the Wrenhaven river. Kaldwin Bridge had provided him with safe passage, finally open for traffic with only one City Watch checkpoint mid-way through. Still, its purpose was to ensure steady flow of people rather than restrict it. 

This time crossing, he had the chance to admire this monument of progress. When it was being constructed, with the effort of countless hands, few believed that the endeavour could ever be completed. It was. An enormous bridge, with houses and shops built along it. 

However, the grandest residence found on Kaldwin Bridge belonged to Anton Sokolov. Upon seeing it again, images had flashed through Corvo's head. Memories of blood, gore, misery... and mercy. He had spared the head of the Academy of Natural Philosophy since the Loyalists needed him alive. Despite his brilliant mind and friendly relations with Jessamine he had committed enough depravities to have him dead. In his work he had no respect for ethics and in his free time he was a drunkard, womanizer and performed sick rituals to compel the Outsider to speak to him. The master of the Void had told Corvo that himself. Perhaps now Sokolov could seek redemption. He had found the cure for the plague with Piero after all..

Alone, without Daud, Corvo did feel exposed. His last encounter with Ramsey turned out mild only because the assassin had arrived just in time to help Corvo. His horribly itching wound, wrapped in new bandages, was a constant reminder of how vulnerable he was. With his targets separated, the lord could easily seize the opportunity to take them out. Corvo hoped that he had been right and that Ramsey was patient enough to wait until tomorrow. 

But what if not? What if it had been his plan all along; to install a false feeling of safety in them to split them up. What if he had already gotten Daud.

The thought evoked in Corvo something he did not expect. He realized that the perspective made him feel uneasy and... upset? Wouldn't Ramsey be doing Corvo a favour in killing Daud, just as Jessamine had ordered? The Lord Protector wouldn't have to do it personally. The command of the late Empress would be difficult to fulfil not because he was afraid that Daud was stronger than him but because, at his core, he felt sympathy for the former Knife of Dunwall. Corvo did not understand where these warm feeling for Daud had come from since he would expected himself to have nothing but disgust and hatred. 

Corvo wanted the assassin to have a chance to change his life, just as he wished for the same chance for himself.

Luckily, his journey across the bridge and into the Distilery District was not hampered by rain. Still, buldging gray clouds were spread far and wide above the city promising more deluge.

Without the intimidating road blockades, Corvo swiftly made his way to the Hound Pits Pub. It certainly looked more inviting than when the Loyalist conspiracy had resided here. The new owner, the former servant under the Loyalists, red-haired Cecilia, had done a wondrous job restoring the pub to its past glory. With the district no longer confined, clients poured in. 

Laughter, chatter and live music were audible even as he approached the building. Out of a corner of his eye Corvo spotted the lone tower on the river bank. There the Loyalists had stationed Emily. Not a prison but a confinement nevertheless. She would have had sneaked out and waited for his return in the attic room. He wondered what use, if any, Cecilia found for the tall building. 

Corvo, weighing his options whether to walk in wearing the mask people would be familiar with resentfully or without it and be recognized as the Royal Protector, he slid the 'scarecrow' under his coat. 

Upon entering, Corvo was stunned by the deafening roar and clouds of smoke. Dazed, he made his way towards the bar, dodging between men passing their time and wasting their hard earned money. It was a late afternoon but alcohol was pouring as if it had already been dusk. Bursting with life it bore no resemblance to the forlorn pub it had been just a month ago.

With stunned senses he managed not to be trampled nor intercepted by anybody. Gently shoving away a bull-necked chump who obviously had too much to drink, Corvo reached the bar. Within the racket and sickly smells it was soothing to see a kind familiar face. Cecilia, her red hair coming loose from under a tattered cap, smiled, pleasantly surprised to see him.

"Master Corvo!", she exclaimed, her voice barely audible above the noise, "I wasn't expecting to see you here. Can I get you anything? On the house."

Corvo eyed a man sitting on a stool by his side. He had passed out with a still lit cigar sticking out of his mouth.

"No no no, I'm here on business."

Cecilia huffed, or so he assumed from the way her lips parted,

"That's what they all say", she announced, extending her arm to indicate the room and those who dwelled there. Cecilia returned her gaze to him, "Of course, I know that's not the case with you. I heard the news..."

Corvo opened his mouth to speak but unexpectedly a heavy mass with a staggering momentum bumped into his back, shoving him painfully into the bar. Out of breath, he saw that the crush caused the unconscious man to collapse to the floor, his cigar laying beside him. He didn't seem to mind, unlike Corvo who was fighting against whatever was crushing his abdomen and ribs into the wooden bar. In Cecilia's eyes, now on his level, he saw exhaustion mixed with slight panic,

"Brawl", she spat out.

Corvo pushed away from the bar, turning around. Indeed. A fight broke out, for whatever reason. The man who bumped into his back was now on the floor struggling against another one on top of him. Despite the racket being unbearable before, it had just gotten worse. A glass flew past him, itches away from his face and broke into shards against a wall. The noise was lost.

Cecilia tugged on his sleeve, averting his gaze from the havoc,

"Let's talk outside."

Several watchmen stormed inside, shouting commands, trying to restore order. 

Corvo let Cecilia lead him towards the back door. Before he reached the way out he was stopped mid-step by something grabbing the rim of his coat and yanking him back. The motion was so unexpected that he struggled not to fall.

A red scarred face with blood shot eyes, out of focus from the excess consumption of stimulant substances, grinned at him crookedly. 

"Yer' lookin like a doll in that outfit", he babbled, trying hard to look straight. Corvo ignored the drunkard and attempted to walk away but the man grabbed his lapel with a grimy hand.

"Would be a shame to clobber up such a pretty face", he spat out raising his hand to point at Corvo, instead missing quite significantly. "Well, we don't like you high class sissies 'ere."

His raised hand fisted and drew back in an attempt to punch Corvo in the face. The Lord Protector did not even flinch. The drunkard's arm passed Corvo and the man fell over with a grunt and a vile swear. Corvo left him squirming on the floor, struggling to get up. He reached the door held for him by Cecilia.

In the dirt courtyard it was considerably more quiet. Metal sheets and scraps lay scattered along with broken furniture, tangled with steadily growing weeds. A breeze carrying stench of fish messed up his hair. Before them spread a static view of the Wrenhaven and, beyond it, the Dunwall Tower in a bluish haze.

Cecilia removed her cap and rubbed her templates.

"I'm so sorry, Master Corvo", she sighed gesturing back inside.

Corvo waved the apology off dismissively,

"I just hope they won't bring down your place."

She smiled sourly,

"The watchmen are quite experienced in breaking up drunken brawls in the pub...my pub", the possessive pronoun tasted foreign on her lips. Still, she relished the flavour. "Can I help you somehow?"

"I'm looking for Samuel", Corvo mumbled, clasping his hands together,

"The boatman? He's here, by the river, usually. I think he has nowhere to go so he stayed."

A watchman strode through the door. When his gaze fixed on Corvo, his brows shot up in astonishment. He straightened, rubbing dirt from his uniform.

"Lord Protector", he bowed, his voice slightly shaking. Corvo dismissed him with a wave of his hand. The guard shifted his attention to the young pub owner,

"Miss Cecilia, you better get back to the bar.'

Cecilia looked up to Corvo and he gave her a nod of consent. She returned, along with the watchman, inside.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A small boat swung in a sleepy motion as small waves splashed against it. A man lay spread across a bench, a hat covering his face. He wore a worn out frock-suit and loose brown pants. 

Corvo looked down at the boatman with a grin stealing onto his face. He cleared his throat to catch the man's attention. Torpidly he lifted the hat to peek from under its rim. His eyes focused on Corvo and he sat up with a matching grin.

"Corvo!", the boatman exclaimed gleefully, "I'm glad to see you again. I was considering visiting you in the Tower but I was afraid the guards would kick me out."

Corvo crouched down, leaning his hands on his laps, not to loom over Samuel.

"If they did, they would soon find themselves unemployed."

Samuel chuckled but then turned serious.

"Lady Emily-"

"That is why I'm here. I need your help." 

Everybody knew.

Samuel stood up and leaned one of his legs on the rim of the boat. His gaze was stern,

"Anything", he said and Corvo knew he meant it. 

"I will need a ride."

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Corvo was finally back in his chambers. Many people had tried to talk with him about Emily, inquire about official matters but the Lord Protector had sent them all away. He did not care how many he had offended. Corvo felt physically and emotionally drained so he had ordered guards posted before his doors to dismiss any intruder, even if it was to be the Prime Minister.

A warm bath was all he could focus on now. Luckily, a bathroom was adjoined to his chambers, an advantage to being the Royal Protector. It was customary to have a manservant prepare the washing and to accompany during it. Corvo had never headed the high class life style, not understanding why he would need assistance from another man to undress him. His resistance raised frowns both among the servants and the nobles. 

Corvo turned the squealing tap. Pipes growled and soon a steady flow of water appeared, first cold but then warmer. He threw his coat on a chair and walked over to a mirror. Dark sunken eyes stared back at him with intensity from beyond the tangled mass of long hair. He looked like a mess. Corvo brought up his hands to rub at those tired eyes and the man on the other side mimicked his gesture. His fingers traced down his jaw and were stung by his facial hair getting out of hand. 

I should shave. 

The splashing of water brought him back to the matter at hand. Bath. The tub was already half full. Corvo slid out of his vest and undid the buttons of his shirt. He didn’t bother folding them neatly, they landed beside the tub. With his boots off, he wiggles out of his pants and underwear.

Corvo submerge his tired body into the warm water. For a moment he felt like all his troubles were washed away along with the dirt. Muscles relaxed, he slid deeper, water covering up his face. Corvo opened his eyes and against the stinging he saw bubbles coming from his mouth and nose. He let his mind wonder freely and as he did sudden realization came over him.

He jolted from under the water with a loud gasp. 

He remembered where before he had seen the young cook’s assistance he had thought he recognized.


	12. Chapter 12

"Lord Protector?", the Commander was confused, a frown distorting his stiff features. Corvo fussed with the stack of weekly reports the man had handed in.

"Would you be so kind", Corvo repeated as if there was anything that the Commander could have had misunderstood, "and ask for breakfast to be brought to my chambers'."

It was true that he rarely summed servants for any reason, including serving him food. However, the Commander behaved as if the mere idea of the Lord Protector having such basic needs as food was something bizarre. 

Corvo lifted his gaze from the reports to the man's bewildered stare. Seeing the scowl in the Lord Protector's expression, he regained his composure,

"Of course, Lord Protector. Anything specific?"

"Something edible", Corvo replied not really caring about the food in earnest. He dismissed the Commander before he could frown again.

When the man had left, Corvo placed the reports on his desk and sat behind it. While he waited he could skim through the documents. They were ordered chronologically, from the first day of the week until today. Corvo reached for the last paper in the file. It was prepared by Major Geoff Curnow and concerned his investigation of the Empress' disappearance. He looked through the Major's neatly written report, several sentences catching his attention. 

'No signs of breaking in...Guards stationed around the perimeter of the Empress' chambers claim to have neither heard nor seen anything that could have been connected...possible removal from the Tower Watch squad...Aiding Overseer forces were dismissed from the investigation...nothing that...nothing which...nothing...'

Corvo did not know why he even bothered with the reports, now he was just more frustrated. The night's sleep had not brought him much solace. He had squirmed in bed unable to slid into oblivion with worry for Emily occupying his withered mind. When the sky had began to light up blushing pink he had finally found his sleep in which he had been greeted by the Outsider's sharply-featured face, his pupil-less eyes, two black holes, looking down at him. He hadn’t uttered a word. As hard as he had tried, Corvo could not rid himself of the intruder's presence, nor had his attempts at summoning Jessamine succeed. 

Waiting for his breakfast, hoping he had not been wrong in his assumptions, he leaned his head on his clasped hands. Despite his body uncomfortably crooked by the desk, he dozed off.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A shy nock woke him up. Rubbing his eyes and trying to regain presentable appearance, he rose his voice,

"Come in", it sounded horse and weak but apparently loud enough as a woman entered the room holding a tray stacked with delicacies. His stomach purred at the sight, yet Corvo reprimanded himself to focus on the task at hand. 

It was her, just like he had expected. She wore a light blue dress which was not buttoned entirely up to her neck. Her hair was loose.

"Good day, Master Attano", she greeted him with the warmest smile. Corvo stood up, deeming it improper to be seated when a woman was standing, even if she was just a cook's assistant. He acknowledged her with a slight smile and a nod of his head.

"Where should I put these?", she asked indicating the tray in hair hands. Corvo realized she brought him omelettes, he wondered if they were better than Daud's.

He extended his arm to gesture at his desk and as she approach the designated place, he casually circled around her to come between the woman and the door. He couldn't take any chances and if his suspicions were right...

The assistant placed the tray on the desk with a loud clatter of plates. She turned to face Corvo looking at him expectantly, questioningly.

"Thank you....?", he uttered fixing her in his gaze.

"Tilia", she replied, filling in the blank place where her name should have been. As she stood before him, exposed and vulnerable, Corvo desperately wished that he wasn't about to harass an blameless woman.

"Quite unusual for a cook's assistant to be bringing food up", he snapped innocently. The statement only brought a shy smile to Tilia's face. She brushed a wisp of hair from her face,

"I was hoping to see you again."

Corvo had hoped for that when requesting food to be brought. Since she did not seem to try to escape, quite the opposite actually, he allowed himself to pace a little away from the door, not to stand stiffly and unnaturally. Corvo never dropped his eyes from the woman. 

It was imprudent for her to remain, she was a servant after all. Yet, here she stood, seemingly timid but meeting his gaze openly.

"How long do you work here, Tilia? I don't think long since I don't really recognize your face."

"You are quite right, Lord Protector. It's been several week. A lot of new staff was employed after the crowning of the new Empress."

That was true enough. Still...

Corvo took a step closer to tower over the delicate figure,

"Were did you work before?", he inquired casually but forcefully. 

Tilia averted her eyes crushed by the weight of his stare.

"I was a maid.- in an estate", she murmured, but he thought he caught her hesitate for a split second. Suddenly a smile reappeared on her face as she reached for the plate with omelettes, "Your food will go cold, Master Attano.- I should leave you to-."

She stole nervous glances to the door. He had been right. It was time to strike.

"I recognize your face, Tilia", he spoke, giving her a chance to redeem herself.

She tilted her head, her brow furrowing,

"I do not believe we have met before", her voice was weak, she was breaking. Tilia knew she was being cornered and she looked like a scared little animal.

"In your previous job", he offered.

Tilia took a step back but found herself against his desk and with no escape route. She was silent as she breathed quickly. Corvo had no time for her games,

"You were a maid in the Office of the High Overseer at Holger Square."

Shocked, Tilia flinched. Corvo was sure he knew her face but he could not place her in time and space until yesterday during bath. It seemed that the warm water had helped him in more ways than one. Clearly, it opened his mind.

Now he saw her face in his mind’s eye as clear as day. He was hunching from a compartment near the ceiling, making his way to the office of Thaddeus Campbell, the High Overseer. The man had conspired against Jessamine together with Burrows. He was a corrupted degenerate and deserved the fait Corvo had bestowed him with. He was crouching in shadows as a maid passed below. He caught a glimpse of her face. The same face that he had seen in the Tower’s kitchen the other day.

"How do you-", she mumbled puzzled but snapped back forcefully, "That’s no crime."

Corvo leaned towards her, his voice a mere whisper as he gave her a sly smile,

"Of course not. However, spying for the Overseers in the Dunwall Tower is quite a different thing."

Tilia scowled with appal simultaneously shrinking into the desk behind her,

"I do no such thing!"

Corvo sighed at the stubbornness of the frail creature. He dearly hoped he did need not resort to violence. A small but sharp blade appeared in his hand, light reflecting in it dangerously. He made sure that Tilia could see her own reflection in it.

"Please, Tilia", he pleaded sincerely, "don’t force me to do this. Tell me the truth. As the Lord Protector I tend to the safety of Her Majesty but the work has a darker side to it too."

Her gaze shifted between the razor and his face. She clenched her fists on the edge of the desk, her knuckles paling. Corvo dreaded the thought of hurting her as she tried to lean away from him.

"You wouldn't", Tilia challenged him but her words had a begging edge to them.

"There is nothing I wouldn't do to ensure the Empress' well being", he answered solemnly, earnestly," I would even battle the Outsider if need be."

Ways in which he could force information out of the woman were almost endless. Corvo hoped she at least partially realized that so she would compel herself to speak. 

Tilia's gaze was now fixed on the blade, frantically following its movement. He hardly needed it to hurt her but a visualization of deepest fears was always a supporting factor.

Tilia slid to the floor, pulling her legs up against her chest and embracing them.

"I will talk", she whispered ending with a sob.

Corvo inwardly sighed with relief. He crouched before the broken woman dismissing self-loathing for having to do what he had done.

"I'm not a traitor", Tilia insisted while she shook her head, "I am loyal to the Kaldwin dynasty, I never meant to conspire against it, I didn't. But when the High Overseer summoned me offering me a job which came with money I have never imagined-"

She paused and Corvo watched as she fought some kind of battle within herself. A battle of loyalty, he guessed.

"I needed that money, my father is sick", she knew she was making excuses so she fell silent again. 

Tilia started shaking profusely, her eyes darting about. Corvo clasped his hands around hers focusing her attention on him rather than on the demons that haunted her.

"What was that job?", he inquired, encouraging her to speak. Tilia swallowed, shamefully glancing sideways,

"I was to be his eyes and ears inside the Tower. It seemed simple enough and harmless. He suspected that there are heretical practices and dark magic at work here", she looked up at Corvo, "He particularly wished me to watch you, to get close to you. He said he believed you to be an agent of the Outsider."

Tilia averted her eyes to look at his left hand. His mark was visible like fresh blood on snow. There was no doubt she recognized it, yet she asked anyway, "Are you an agent of the Outsider?"

Corvo shut his eyes, distressed. Why didn't he wear gloves like Daud. Perhaps because he saw no need to conceal the brand, such was his rebellious nature. The damned mark. 

Corvo had never asked for it nor was he given any choice by the Outsider. That which many sought through vile deeds was a burdening gift that weighed upon him heavily. He forced himself to look at Tilia,

"My life belongs to the Empress, not the Outsider."

Corvo was sure the Outsider begged to differ but frankly he did not much cared what the black-eyed bastard thought.

Tilia watched him for a moment carefully and then she nodded,

"You are a good man and an honourable Lord Protector. You could have hurt me but you didn't. I see that you only try to protect the Empress in what you do, no heresy involved. Yet, the Overseers might think otherwise."

Corvo knew that the Abbey had been suspicious of him but he wouldn't have thought that it was already a deep enough conviction that they would have placed one of their maids to follow him. It was quite clever, he had to grant them that, the servants had a way of blending in and avoiding suspicion. 

Despite discovering the espionage in Tower kitchens, it wasn't a matter of the gravest concern. There was little harm for Tilia to cause if the Overseers wanted her to inform them of heretical practices. Corvo was not a religious man, he placed his faith in his own strength and his duty as the Lord Protector. He did not worship the Outsider in anyway. In fact, he would be glad if he never had to see those black eyes again but since he was so fascinating he could not avoid it.

The Abbey had been apprehensive towards him even during Jessamine's reign. They had imposed their Seven Strictures on him and he had accepted them because he was expected to. That was all and yet not enough to satisfy the Overseers. They bellowed that the Lord Protector has to be a man of virtue and faith, setting an example for all to follow, while he, Corvo, had not attended their sermons regularly. That infuriated them so they had petitioned to the Empress, dissatisfied with his conduct. Their outraged letters had been stones cast into the void, Jessamine was not devotee either. Still, she had attended the sermons once in a while and on those occasion he had, naturally, accompanied her, always to be greeted by unsympathetic glares from the Overseers. They had never dared to glare at Jessamine.

"Is the Abbey involved somehow in the Empress' disappearance?", Corvo inquired returning his thoughts to current matters.

Tilia looked sincerely dismayed,

"Lord Protector, I know that upon finding a spying servant sent by the Overseers inside the Tower you may think that the Abbey is a vile serpent nest", Tilia shook her head vigourously, "High Overseer Curtis is a righteous man, although sometimes maybe too..devoted to the work for the Everyman. Still, he would never hurt Her Majesty, it’s out of question."

Corvo did not share her conviction. He wondered if her words were blind fidelity or reason speaking. He was guessing the former. Would she consider both Campbell and Martin as good High Overseers? Perhaps there was a different way to inquire,

"A man named Ramsey, do you know if the High Overseer had any dealings with him?"

"The High Overseer hardly informed me of his action", Tilia frowned in thought, "Now that you mention the name, it does sound familiar, though. I had to have overheard it in some conversation...something about a ball? I don't know."

For Corvo that was enough. 

What he could not understand was how the Overseers could work together with one marked by the Outsider. Perhaps they did not know, or perhaps there was more to it. The whole party was a one big trap, even more so with the Abbey involved but there was no other choice. He had to walk into the lion cave. 

Daud had a choice yet he had decided to take part in that which could be the end of them. Both of them.

Tilia was looking at him, observing the thoughts battling in his mind as his facial muscles twitched.

"I suppose...I will be trialled and sent to Coldrigde", her voice was weak but she seemed accepting of her fate. 

Corvo shifted his attention back to the woman, piercing her with his gaze,

"No"

She was confused for a moment, her arms sliding down her legs,

"So I will be fired?...Or will you just execute me?", she did not plea nor beg. She simply asked.

"No. You can keep your life and your job under a condition. You must stop aiding the Overseers. You will be my eyes now and you will be paid extra. What say you?"

Tilia frantically nodded her head, bewildered by the turn his words took. She had no idea what amount of will power it took him to propose what he had and not simply extinguish her.

"I have faith in the Overseers but my fidelity lays with the Empress."

Corvo fixed the woman in a last dangerous glare,

"Do not betray my trust, or you will find that which you yourself had suggested a preferable fate".


	13. Chapter 13

'In memory of Her Majesty Jessamine Kaldwin. Mother to Emily, Empress to us all'

Those words never failed to pierce his heart like sharp needles. Looking down at Jessamine's gravestone was unreal, a nightmare he could not awake from. 

Corvo had come to the gazebo hoping it would ease his rushing thoughts and discourage people from disturbing his solitude. 

So far it aided him in the latter but not the former. 

Seldom raindrops pounded on the tile roof sleepily. Corvo was glad to have his stack of hair cover his face. No one should see tears of the Lord Protector.  
Memories of her frail body shaking in deadly spasms as she desperately clenched to her escaping life. The warmth of her fresh blood seeping through her clothes and onto his hands...

Corvo flinched pushing away the image. It would only make him weaker and he needed to be strong now, that was why he had come here. He had hoped Jessamine could aid him in the task to come. 

Corvo's thoughts wondered off to their first meeting. She had been twelve, a little girl with her black hair loosely braided and tied with a red ribbon, wearing a dark lacy dress. He had been nineteen, thinking himself an adult but in his heart being the child she was.   
They had made him wear a blue and red uniform, the sort the Tower guards wear. He remembered being terribly uncomfortable in the stiff clothes, not what he had been used to when he had lived in Serkonos. Even when he had served in the Duke's court in Karnaca he hadn't been forced to look or behave above his station. He was a nobody. It was the street that had taught him all he had known. Pure chance and luck brought him to where he was, although at the time he had thought it no fortune at all, the opposite really. 

There had been no way for him to know that the man he had robbed was the Duke's chief of security. Corvo had gotten away with the man's purse, thinking himself terribly skilled and clever. He had to look laughably stupid when he had found the same man waiting for him in his hideout. The Commander had been impressed with the young outlaw’s abilities and rather than kill him, he had offered Corvo a position amongst the Duke's guards. Corvo soon had proved reliable at the job and Garbliani became his mentor, showing the boy all he had known about fight and stealth, training him mercilessly. Climbing ranks he had become Garbliani's right hand, an unthinkable achievement for a boy pulled out of the sewers. Upon Serkonos' joining of the Empire, the Duke had decided to seal the deal by presenting the Emperor with a gift, the second man he trusted the most, Corvo Attano. Euhorn Kaldwin, not knowing what to do with a young Serkonan skilled in the art of combat and afraid to imperil the freshly knit union by refusing the gift, had assigned Corvo as a personal guard of his daughter, Jessamine.

When she had seen him for the first time, in that stiff uniform and with his hair trimmed short, what annoyed him even more than the alien clothes, she hadn't known what to make of him. Cor-vo, the name had seemed strange as little Jessamine had repeated it with amusement that came with getting to know new things. He had been an exotic curiosity for her, with his darker complexion and foreign bearing. Corvo, on the other hand, had initially felt degraded. When he had been sent to Gristol, he had not anticipated that he will be assigned as a guard to a little girl, be it the Emperor's daughter or not. He had been restrained in his approach towards her but her cheeky and yet intelligent demeanour soon won him over. 

The longer he had overlooked her, the less of a burden it had been. She had become to him like a younger sister and caring for her had no longer been simply a formal duty. 

He, on the other hand, had been her older brother who she had loved to tease knowing well he would not fight back. He remembered it well. As in time his hair had grown back he had to have it cut short again. Jessamine had laughed at him, claiming that he had looked silly. It soon had become apparent that she had simply preferred his long hair because he had allowed her to play with it. When it had grown back again, the young lady could return to braiding. She had prohibited anyone to cut it even when she had been older and no longer had plaid with it. 

However, when Jessamine had been younger, being her personal guard had meant, basically, being her playmate. She would have him play house with him, hide and seek and tag, those were her favourite games. As she had matured she had no longer wished to indulge in childhood games, instead found Corvo to be a satisfying conversation partner. She had told him of her fears and ambitions. 

Having spent so much time with Jessamine as well as having been trained by the Emperor's Lord Protector, no one had been really surprised that upon Euhorn Kaldwin's death and Jessamine's crowning, it was him, a Serkonan, who she had picked to be her Protector. He had been fulfilling the responsibilities long before he had been granted the title. 

Corvo had never been able to distinguish the moment when Jessamine had stopped to be a little that girl who had tied his hair with ribbons and had blossomed into a beautiful young woman. Despite how attractive she had been, Corvo would have never thought of Jessamine differently than as of a sister if not for her having shown him that he had not been a mere brother to her. She had kissed him, not the other way round. He would have never dared. That, however, had been a turning a point in their relationship. Matters had become terribly more complicated but it was something he had never regretted.

Jessamine was now just letters engraved in the cold stone before him. How could anyone be reduced to a simple marker informing future generations that there had once lived someone by the inscribed name. As years passed and memory faded who would even care to look upon a burial place of a name that has no personal meaning. People forget, perhaps intentionally, that it is the fate that awaits each and every one, both the Emperor and the beggar. 

Jessamine's memory would not fade from his mind. Forgetting her would mean denying her existence. She had existed, before him was the proof. Corvo could not forget even if he desperately wanted, she wasn't only the woman he loved. She was his purpose.

Corvo realized that her gravestone did bring him a sad ease. He could touch it, trace the letters of her name and say that here lays what remains of his purpose. Common people did not have that luxury with the plague having taken so many. Anonymous bodies were piled in shrouds, impossible even to say if they were men, women or children. No one sought out their dead to find solace, there was none to find, only rodents and the smell of rotting flesh. No names on stones will ever herald that these people lived, loved, lied, betrayed. The objects they left behind, words written and unwritten, the only comfort to the people they had left behind.

"Corvo?", a voice summoned him back from the dark place where his thoughts dwelled. So no solitude either.

He turned to see Geoff Curnow approaching slowly.

"Can I speak with you or do you wish to be left alone?"

Considerable as the offer was, Corvo decided that perhaps a conversation would keep his mind from slipping into misery. He gestured for Geoff to join him.  
The thumping of the Major's boots rose above the increasing rain. He stopped before the Empress' gravestone placing a hand over his heart. Water dripped from his hair onto his forehead. Geoff's gaze sternly shifted to Corvo,

"I wanted to see you before you left. I wanted to...wish you luck."

Corvo nodded, thanking the man, although he had never betted on luck, it was too unreliable and unpredictable. Life was too precious to gamble away with it.  
Looking up above Tower walls, Corvo realized that the drizzle had concealed the other bank of the Wrenhaven. Only silhouettes of passing ships, like ghosts of enormous beasts, distorted the otherwise still greyish view.

Geoff shifted uncomfortably next to him, catching his attention. Although his red and blue uniform made him look intimidating, his soft features spoke volumes of his nature. 

"You know, I had an older brother once", Geoff began with a sigh and Corvo could see that words came onto his lips with great difficulty, "It was long ago, we were both just simple City Watch lower guards. As we were patrolling the Distillery District we were ambushed by some Bottle Street gang members. They started throwing those explosive whiskey bottles at us. I saw one of them flying directly at me but I was too scared to move. My brother pushed me to the side yet he was hit instead. He went ablaze. The thugs ran as I tried to extinguish the vicious flames. When the sanitarians came, he was still alive. His body was badly burnt. I looked at his blackened crisped face, fighting against the smell of burnt flesh. He was looking at me with his mouth moving soundlessly. I couldn't summon my voice. He died that night in hospital."

Corvo was stunned by the man's words. Geoff had never told him anything this personal.

"I-"

"I'm not telling you this to have your sympathy. It was a long time ago and since then most of my family has died one way or another. Except for Callista. I grew quite...numb to these things. But their deaths taught me this- never wait if you have something to say or you may wait forever. I never got to thank my brother for saving my life. I regret that even today. So as not to repeat past mistakes and, although, I know you will return from your mission, I want to thank you for having saved my life."

Corvo took a step back, bewildered. What was he talking-. 

True. He had saved Geoff Curnow. Upon when Corvo had been sent to eliminate Thaddeus Campbell, the High Overseer had his own murderous plans. The Captain of the City Watch was not a corruptible man and this had meant that he had to be taken care of more decisively. Campbell had been going to poison Curnow. 

Corvo had entered the High Overseer’s office through a vent below the ceiling. Crackling fire had lit the room throwing long grotesque shadows on walls. It had been too richly decorated to befit a man of faith. On top of that, a rune engraved with the mark of the Outsider had hanged above the mantelpiece of the fireplace. Corvo had taken it, inwardly laughing at the irony. 

Distant voices had reached him as he had approach the grand table occupying most of the space. Two glasses, one already filled, and a bottle with what smelled like brandy had waited there. Corvo without hesitation had spilled the liquid, both from the glass and the bottle, onto the thick carpet leaving no stain as it had sunk into it. 

Voices had grown louder. It had been Campbell. His babbling must have put the accompanying Captain on a verge of losing his nerve. He had fussed with the door, apparently not able to find the right key, and then they had entered. Corvo had already concealed himself on a wide ledge behind the window, peering inside.   
When Campbell had realized that the poison had been spilled, he had managed to contain his anger and continued putting an act before Curnow. As the Captain turned his back to the High Overseer to glare unfavourably at the painting of the Lord Regent, Campbell had drawn his sword. Curnow had turned to see the blade already coming towards him, he had no time to even think of a reaction. Corvo had. He had already been behind the High Overseer, grabbing sternly his wrist to disarm him. Campbell had gasped in disbelief as an arm had held him in a chokehold. His slack body had collapsed before bewildered Curnow. He had owed his life to the masked felon.

Today he was thanking for it. Yet, Corvo could not fathom how the Major knew that behind the wretched mask had been the Lord Protector. Reading his face Geoff shot him half a smile.

"I know it was you. I told you that you seemed familiar and when I thought about it more and received reports of your...following achievements, I was ready to bet that the masked assassin was no other than Corvo Attano."

Corvo's brow furrowed,

"Then why haven't you informed the authorities?"

"Because I never believed you to have been guilty in the first place and I couldn't condemn you for going after the wicked, for setting your wrongs right", Geoff clasped his hands behind his back, "But don't think that if I had the chance I wouldn't arrest you. Duty comes before any personal convictions. An order is an order."

Corvo huffed,

"Even when that order comes from someone who wants you dead?"

"A fair point."

Corvo wanted to smile but suddenly his head started spinning. He thought he was going to vomit as the world tilted left and right. Geoff, not realizing that something was wrong, continued talking about how he expected a serious conversation when Corvo returned. His words seemed distant, as if Corvo was drowning and quickly running out of air. He frantically tried not lose his grip on reality as his vision narrowed into a dark tunnel.

"Geoff-", Corvo managed a weak wail. 

Geoff reached out to grab him but was not fast enough. Corvo was already falling, the ground spiralling up towards him with staggering momentum. With the last extortion of his will he put up his hands to absorb the fall. The mark on his hand was the last thing he saw before all went black.


	14. Chapter 14

Panic welled up in Corvo as darkness surrounded him. As wide open as he thought his eyes were he saw only emptiness. There was nothing for Corvo to hold onto, no imagine, sound nor smell. In this senseless state he thought he must be dying. He must have been wrong and Ramsey had come to claim his life. In truth, he did not much care anymore. Although it was nauseatingly disorienting, he felt no pain. In the dark yet calm place there were no worries.

Or so Corvo had thought until out of nothingness formed the face of the Outsider. Two black unblinking eyes stared at him mischievously.

Surrounding walls of darkness fell apart revealing the gazebo but Corvo knew that it was just an illusion. The falling rain was now dripping upwards. The Void never failed to make his hair stand on end. 

He thought he saw a whale floating in the distance.

Corvo was still on the tile floor when the Outsider strode to hunch over him, mimicking the way humans walked, yet not convincingly since he hovered above the ground.

"My dear Corvo-", his voice echoed infinitely through the Void.

Corvo scowled up at the form of a man,

"Not you again."

The Outsider spread his arms, as his face expressed seemingly sincere disappointment,

"I would have expected a warmer welcome from someone who receives favours from me."

Anger started building up inside the bodyguard. Pushing hair back from his face he rose to look the Outsider straight in his nightmarish eyes.

"Favours? Those favours of yours bring me only misery. That is your purpose, is it not!"

The demigod looked perplexed the way he tapped a finger on his lower lip.

"I am positive you misinterpret my intentions, Corvo. I bestow gifts upon you but it is you who gives meaning to them."

The way the air distorted behind him was hypnotizing and the bottomless eyes were trying to draw him closer. Corvo stood his ground.

"And the Heart?", he challenged the Outsider. His fists clenched and his voice became a low growl, "you trapped Jessamine's soul inside, haven't you!? Then you give it to me so that I can hear her voice and remind me every waking second of her death. You torment the both of us. You are a monster."

The Outsider was unaffected by the venom in his words. He merely crossed his arms on his chest, bluish haze of the Void spinning behind him.

"You are quite unfair, Corvo, passing out judgements like this. I only did what Her Majesty begged for. She said, that when she is near you her heart is at peace, so I granted her that."

Corvo's fight ready muscles relaxed abruptly. He stared at the demigod, trying to breathe past the lump in his throat. He recognized the words she had repeatedly directed at him like a mantra.

"Jessamine begged for this?", his voice broke sorrowfully. The idea of her begging for anything was profane. The pain of a sudden realization threatened to throw him back to the ground. It was by her choice, by her plea, to have her soul trapped so that she could stay by his side, in a form of a mechanized heart. Corvo was afraid his own heart would give up. She was stuck on the thin line between life and death for him. 

Was it was painful for her? 

Even if it wasn't she was a prisoner with no will of her own. Jessamine was a slave. His slave. He was the monster.

The Outsider took his trembling hand,

"Oh no, no, you cannot hate yourself for her decisions."

Corvo lifted his glassy eyes to look at Leviathan who still held his hand. It was oddly comforting. The Outsider's palm was cold and yet warmth seeped from it.

"Am I dead?", Corvo inquired, his distress and confusion not controllable any more.

The laughter of the demigod was a haunting chime, paralyzing every nerve.

"No, Corvo, you're quite alive. Simply unconscious. No need to thank me. I figured you needed the rest before tonight."

Corvo had no intention of thanking him.

"Big night tonight, decisive. What will you do, I wonder. Will you manage to rescue your precious Emily? Fate of the whole Empire depends on that. If you fail, would it fall apart, or evolve into something else? Perhaps it will be ruled by common men. Or perhaps not... And how will you treat Ramsey? Is he really an evil spawn or just a man making mistakes. You have made mistakes too, let me remind you... And Daud... You spared his life once, but will you do it again? The Empress requested you to kill him, did she not...Tonight will be most fascinating. I will be watching with great interest. And should you die tonight... Well, I will welcome you with open arms into the Void. So will Jessamine, I am sure, once she's released from the Heart."

The questions the Outsider posed made him shrink. He had no answers. How could he set things right if he was so weak, crushed under the weight of what awaited him. Suddenly death ceased to be such a dreadful perspective, especially since he would be reunited with Jessamine.

"She will be trapped as long as I live?", Corvo asked, pushing away the urge to collapse. 

"Her soul will be released the moment you die."

Would death really solve all of his problems and return Jessamine to him?

The Outsider smiled sourly, lifting Corvo's chin with his index finger.

"None of that. Opting out, you would disappoint me greatly. You are a man of great character, suicide would not befit you. And if that does not convince you, remember about Emily. She counts on you, she calls for you."

Despite how much Corvo wanted to disagree with the master of the Void, he was right. The Lord Protector tried to take a step away from the demigod whose proximity was starting to put him on an edge but the Outsider just smiled and searing pain erupted in his arm.

For a moment all went black again. There were voices, arguing, stealing more and more persistently into his conscience.

"What have you done, fool?!", the man sounded rough and spoke with a slightly foreign accent.

"I do not appreciate your insults, Sokolov, especially when I'm actually doing something to help", came an answer of another man, each word chosen with precision of a surgeon.

"This is going to kill him!"

Corvo's eyes shut open as he gasped. The surrounding was still out of focus as he jumped out of a bed he had been lying in. A sudden shock of pain was shortly followed by an adrenaline rush the sort of which he had never experienced before. Corvo feared he would never be able to stand still again. Pacing around the room cleared his head, revealing to him that it was actually his room and the two men were Piero and Sokolov.

"See what you have done?", Sokolov chided as they both watched Corvo's unnecessary movement. "Can you even imagine what his blood pressure must be now?"

Piero waved his hand as he scowled at the bearded Tyvian,

"He'll be fine, no thanks to you."

"You haven't removed the syringe."

Corvo looked at his arm. Below the rolled up sleeve of his shirt was a medical needle sticking out from a vain, the skin around it livid. Despite being deprived of feeling pain by his adrenaline levels, it was nonetheless a sickening sight.

"Get it out!", he yelled, reaching his arm out to Piero as if it was the greatest injury he had ever suffered.

Piero grabbed his hand, trying to keep him still as he removed the needle with a quick yank.

"What have you injected me with anyway?", Corvo was afraid he would not like the answer but still had to ask.

Sokolov huffed, with his back turned to Piero,

"Go on, tell him."

Piero adjusted his glasses, glaring angrily at Sokolov from behind the thick lenses.

"I have introduced into your blood system my remedy elixir", he said casually as if announcing that he had had tea this morning.

Corvo's eyes went even wider open, as his feet shuffled restlessly.

"Are you serious? Is that even safe? Isn't the Remedy supposed to protect from the plague?"

Piero cleared his throat,

"You're up and about, are you not?", he closely examined Corvo, "This is quite spectacular, the Remedy used as a stimulant-", Piero frantically looked around, "where is my notebook, I will need to perform further experiments."

"I don't think this is entirely safe", Corvo mumbled, his tongue not exactly catching up with his stream of thought, "It's not a very medically correct approach."

Piero huffed as he found a piece of paper and started scribbling on it,

"We are not doctors."

Corvo gestured with his head to Sokolov,

"He's the Royal Physician."

The Tyvian scowled,

"That is why it was not me who injected the Remedy into your veins."

"Oh stop your whining", Piero cut him off, "It was a vestigial quantity, it should be wearing off."

That seemed true enough. Corvo managed to contain his limbs, still, they twitched occasionally. 

Sokolov, curiosity overcoming disdain for Piero's medical treatment, approached Corvo instilling his face with his hand smelling of formalin. What he had been doing before coming here, Corvo did not want to know. Sokolov examined Corvo's eyes from a unnerving proximity, his breath spreading the aroma of King’s Street Brandy. Still gripping the protector’s chin, he turned to Piero,

"Have you seen his pupils? They're enormous! This is what looking into the eyes of the Outsider must feel like."

Corvo swallowed uncomfortably, appalled with the idea that anything about him could resemble the master of the Void. He saw Piero drop his gaze to the floor. Sokolov did not know that neither of them had to imagine what looking into the Outsider's eyes felt like... It was rapture.

"Despite how scientifically interesting this is", Sokolov murmured letting go of his head, "it was also unnecessary. He would have woken up on his own eventually."

Piero huffed,

"Major Curnow insisted that he had to be up before eight."

Corvo did not appreciate to be spoken about as if he was absent. Yet, Piero's mention of eight o'clock riveted his attention.

"What time is it?"

Sokolov reached for a chained watch he kept in the front pocket of his frock.

"It is already past six."

Shit. He didn't have a lot of time.

"Gentlemen, you have my thanks and so does Major Curnow but I have to excuse you since I must tend to my duties."

The two brightest minds in Dunwall eyed him suspiciously but did not inquire. Piero gathered his notes and they left Corvo alone in his chambers.

He had to get ready for the ball. 

As much as he would prefer the simplicity of his uniform, Corvo knew he had to look more presentable. He held no favour for expensive outfits, deeming them airs. Nevertheless, his wardrobe had been stacked with the most exquisite shirts, jackets and what not, made especially for him by the royal tailor by Jessamine's order. It was a waste since most of them had never been worn.

Opening his wardrobe he realized that its contents were a mystery to him. The whole spectrum of colours and variety of fabrics overwhelmed him. Black, yellow, turquoise, crimson, wool, cotton, silk...Corvo had no idea what were the current fashion trends in Dunwall and in what he would stand out like a red flag. He hid his face against the wardrobe door with a moan. 

A nock disturbed his misery. Before he could send away the intruder, a familiar voice called, 

"It’s me."

"Yeah, come in", Corvo mumbled.

Geoff closed the door behind himself and strode towards the Lord Protector,

"Squirrel-face and Beardy told me you are well now", he announced merrily but seeing Corvo's miserable features asked, "Are you?"

Despite his distress, Corvo couldn't help but smile at Geoff's accurate mock of the scientists.

"Oh yes, thank you for sending those two to tend to me, although they did perform unsafe experiments on me."

Geoff scowled but Corvo dismissed it with a wave of his hand,

"I'm fine. If it wasn't for them I would have slept past the ball."

The Major tilted his head, surveying Corvo's features with worry,

"You collapsed, I carried you here and sent for the Royal Physician."

Corvo squeezed Geoff's hand,

"Thank you, friend", the word carried a strange taste, "but you should leave me now. The less you know the better."

Geoff huffed,

"I know where you're going and I can see that you are not making the right choice of an attire"

He gestured at Corvo's uniform. Corvo glared back,

"That's because I haven't changed yet. You want to help? Pick something for me to wear then", he said it scornfully but Geoff reached inside the wardrobe, his hands skimming through the material.

"As a matter of fact I know a thing or two about what people wear in Dunwall. I go out, unlike you."

Corvo wanted to argue but Geoff threw a plum-purple shirt at him.

"Dunwall nobility likes bold contrasting colours", he explained seeing Corvo's sour expression.

He gathered the soft shirt, folding it over his arm,

"I don't."

A dark green jacket flew at him, one of its golden buttons hitting his hand, as if to reprimand him for his grumbling. Corvo was beginning to feel like a coat-hanger. He sighed,

"Anything else or can I just change already?"

As an answer, Geoff put a pair of black trousers and a vest over Corvo's shoulder. The Lord Protector frowned,

"I'm already wearing dark pants", he said trying to forced them back into Geoff's hands. The Major scowled at him,

"Yours are dirty and these ones are more elegant. They have golden stitching. And while you are at it you should shave."

"It’s a masked ball."

The Major scoffed,

"Thanks be to Ramsey for that."

Not giving Corvo a chance to argue, Geoff shoved him towards the bathroom.

Corvo felt anything but comfortable at having to play the part of a noble. Still, he knew it was necessary if he wanted to blend in. 

He unbuttoned his vest along with his shirt and placed them over the edge of the tub.

Cold water splashed against his face was refreshing but made him shiver as it trickled down his chest and back. Corvo caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and flinched. The sudden adrenaline rush eased the tiredness in his features but his hair looked as if he had been electrocuted. With some water and a comb, Corvo desperately worked at containing the bush. The success was only partial. His hair had a life of its own.

Corvo slid his arms into the sleeves of the plum-purple shirt, its soft fabric brushing against his muscles. He completed the attire with the black vest and trousers, both richly ornamented with gold, and the dark green frock. Corvo could not complain that the clothes were uncomfortable, however, his mirror reflection convinced him that he looked like nothing else but a clown.

 

With a stern pace he went to confront Geoff.

"Perfect!", the Major exclaimed so enthusiastically that Corvo could not chide. Perhaps looking like a clown was truly current fashion, "I also found these for you", Geoff gestured to a pair of shiny black shoes with golden buckles, shirt pins and clippings and na off-white cravat. Curnow's gaze told him that there was no point to argue. Marvellous. He will die looking like an idiot.


	15. Chapter 15

"All is quiet and orderly, Lord Protector", the callous looking guard said quickly, his hand frozen in a stiff salute. As surprised as he was to see the Royal Protector at night by the Water lock he did not voice it. He did not have to, his expression spoke it all.

"I am taking a walk before I retire to my chambers. I was hoping cold air could clear my mind", Corvo had no obligation to explain his actions to a mere tower guard, still, he had figured that a little lie would put the man at ease and dissuade him from spreading news of suspicious evening activities of the Lord Protector. At least Corvo spared him the shock of the stunning impression he made in his hand-picked outfit. He concealed the attire under his coat. If he hadn't, his little lie would be hardly believable.

The guard relaxed slightly and forced his saluting arm to his side,

"Not the best night for a stroll, it looks like it’s going to rain again."

Corvo acknowledged the guard’s words with a nod and went past him not wishing to further indulge in a pointless chat.

Inside he saw two more guards patrolling. The Water lock, a wonder of technological achievement in which Sokolov had meddled the most, was one of the most important entry points into the Tower. It was also the safest so it was not necessary to post a whole contingent of guards around it. They were better utilized guarding the front gate. Anyone could climb over the fence while it was virtually impossible to climb the massive steep walls of the Water lock. Unless you were marked by the Outsider.

Corvo walked to the chasm to lean over the railing. With the low water level it was a dizzying drop. A long fall than a hard crushing impact upon diving into the cold murkiness. Still, he would have done it, he had done before, but the guards watching him would not appreciate it if the Lord Protector swung his legs over the fence and jumped. It could cause a...commotion and he would be soaking wet, something he desperately wanted to avoid. 

Instead, Corvo made his way across the expanse of the Water lock landing, heading towards a balcony to its far end. Pretending curiosity in the view of the Wrenhaven the balcony offered, he managed to lose the attentive gaze of the guards. Seeing them no longer interested in him, he slipped into the engine room, down a flight of stairs.

With all the machinery shut down, it was unnaturally quiet and Corvo's footsteps echoed mercilessly on the stone floor. The dead engine room led him to a small landing, some kind of emergency exit out in the Water lock, significantly lower than the platform were the guards were patrolling.

Corvo blinked down using pipes and small outcroppings as mid-landings. His reached out left hand guided him, the mark shimmering bluish. 

Managing not to trip, slip and fall he reached the bottom, to stand on a narrow ledge, just above the water level. He slid his hands along the wall and his feet down the narrow slippery path. Samuel was supposed to hide amongst the rocks outside the Water lock and wait for the Lord Protector to take him to Ramsey’s ball. 

Corvo leaned out to have a better view of the Wrenhaven, his hands clenching onto the stone with all their might. The river was quiet, almost motionless as it reflected the seemingly full moon peeking from behind quickly passing rain clouds. Water splashed against the labyrinth of rocks, a natural protection from unwanted visitors. 

Across, on the opposite bank, Corvo saw the tall clock tower, sticking above roof tops. His destination. Yet, he did not see Samuel anywhere. If he had to climb back up the Water lock...

A purr of a motor stirred the silence as a boat emerged from behind the cover of rocks. It cut through the water leaving v-shaped waves on its trail. Samuel, his hair messed up by the wind, sat guiding his pride.

"I'm sorry, I'm late", he apologized as the boat docked before Corvo, "I caught the interest of some guards and had to lose it. Hop aboard."

Corvo leaped onto the boat, above a threatening gap. As he landed, he quickly sat down not lose his balance.

"Thank you for coming, Samuel", Corvo uttered making himself as comfortable as it was possible on the hard wooden bench, "You're not late at all. I just got here myself, I had some difficulties but never mind, let’s get going."

Samuel skilfully turned the boat around. Wind stung Corvo's face as the other side of the Wrenhaven began emerging with more detail from out of the darkness.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Before they reached the far bank, the downpour had returned in earnest. Luckily enough though, Samuel had foreseen such a possibility and covered the boat with a tarp. Perhaps it did not smell favourably, still, it ensured that they were not soaking wet and shivering under each gust of the wind. Corvo lay on the bottom of the boat listening to the deafening pounding of rain against the tarp. Its monotony was soothing and he chose to relish it in silence. 

Samuel docked the boat against a small pier, judging from its withered state a forgotten one. Corvo was reluctant to leave the refuge of under the tarp, especially that the rain had not subsided. A blessing came from Samuel who had a spare umbrella stacked under a bench. Armed with it, Corvo jumped onto the pier, which creaked dangerously. Samuel bid him farewell and left with Corvo's coat aboard. 

The umbrella did not protect him against vertical attacks from the downpour. Deprived of his coat, since he could not enter the party wearing it, Corvo felt icy shivers running down his spine. His whimsy boots thumped against the cobble stones as he made his way up the street. This was the Estate District, albeit its edge. Lit by street lanterns, their light reflecting in the ever present poodles, it looked well maintained. In the damned weather there weren't many pedestrians about, still, Corvo kept his umbrella low to cast a shadow across his face. 

Even city guards were hesitant to leave the safety of their outpost. They watched him from beyond the metal construction, but without much interest. He hoped this meant he was blending in with the other scare passers-by.

The majority of the buildings he passed were grand mansions and presentable tenement houses. He remembered well his previous visit to the Estate District. Lady Boyle's last party. Hopefully, giving her over, unconscious, to Lord Brisby, was a preferable fate than killing her. The man clearly had feelings for her and perhaps, in time, Lydia had managed to grow fond of him too. There was also the option that she was nothing more than his captive now, though alive. Corvo guessed he may never know for sure. She may have aided Burrows but she did not deserve to suffer such fate. 

Muffled noises, out of place in the fine street, grabbed his attention. They seemed to be coming from a side narrow alleyway, almost concealed by darkness, easy to walk by it and never realize it was there. Corvo peeked in to see a richly-dressed woman being harassed by two thugs. One of them was covering her mouth and keeping her still while the other was searching her for valuables. She was trying to fight but was held firmly. As she squirmed more light fell onto her features and Corvo recognized her. It was Esma Boyle.

Esma wailed a little louder and the one which had been groping her stopped just to put a blade to her throat.

"Quiet you stupid bitch", he hissed with a rough voice, the knife glinting in the fading light.

Corvo did not wait a moment longer.

He stepped purposefully into the alleyway with the umbrella still held above his head. His muscles tensed, fight ready, but he decided to give the thugs a chance.

"Let her go and leave", Corvo said sternly, his heart pounding in his ears. 

The men looked up to eye the intruder with sly smiles. They were shorter than him but with their bull necks and wide chests they reminded him of boulders in an avalanche. Or perhaps bears in a wild frenzy. He couldn't decide which was preferable.

Esma saw him too, hope washing over her face. A muffled plea for help made one of the thugs shove her against the wall. She crushed into the bricks with a sickening thud and slid down onto the cobble stones.

"There", the man, Corvo realized he had a blackened eye, spat out," I let her go."

The other thug chuckled but then his laughter turned into coughing. The plague, no doubt. Were they to distribute the cure even amongst their kind? Cut-throats and thieves. Corvo did not wish to feel empathy towards them and yet... His thoughts drifted for a split second back to his childhood and to what he had been forced to do by poverty. Even such men did not deserve the fate the sickness bestowed. Blood from the eyes...

"Off with you", Corvo's knuckles were white around the umbrella. He didn't really expect then to comply, still he wanted to give them the chance.

Their footsteps did not thump like his did, their shoes worn out and saggy. With wolfish grins they approached him. No, they will not make it easy for him.

"You are brave, little aristocrat", the blackened eye spoke, chewing his words with what little teeth he had remaining," but also incredibly stupid."

A knife flashed, as the second man lunged for Corvo, aiming at his throat. The Lord Protector had been ready. He put his umbrella down using it like a shield, just in time for the blade to cut through it, yet miss his flesh. It stuck between the thick material and the supporting metal coils and Corvo yanked it back, pulling the weapon from the thug's hand, sending it flying. The blade landed somewhere out of reach and sight with a cling.

While the opponent was distracted by the loss of his knife, Corvo, with lighting speed, pulled the umbrella closed, shreds of the material bellowing violently. He wielded it as if it were a sword, slashing at the thug's shin. The man twisted in pain, not anticipating another blow which followed. Corvo smacked him with the umbrella square in the jaw causing his opponent to groan and swear as well as loose sense of direction. Elbowing him in the chest cast him back onto the cobble stones, where he remained. 

The blackened eye, infuriated with what had happened to his friend, jumped at Corvo from behind, grabbing him in a chokehold. The Lord Protector reacted instantly and instinctively, not waiting for the lack of air to blur his thoughts. Corvo thrust his head back and a crushing impact along with a crack told him that had found his target. The thug, who now had a broken nose, staggered back a step, tripping and falling over his comrade. They squirmed on the wet street, barely conscious and entirely disoriented.

Corvo turned his attention to the still figure of Esma, laying as she had fallen.

A powerful smack to the back of his head made him realize the hard way that the men had a third friend. Corvo steadied himself against a brick wall, his vision going out of focus. The ringing in his ears was unnerving, making him unable to tell up from down. He awaited another fatal blow, knowing he did not have the will to fight back. Surprisingly, no more pain had come and his senses finally settled as the world around him clarified itself. 

Corvo turned around to see Daud hunching over the third assailant, his wrisbow flashed before it hid under the sleeve of a yellow jacket. Under it he wore a crimson shirt, the colour of blood. He looked both stunning and formidable. 

"I will soon grow bored of saving you", Daud murmured, straightening under Corvo's glare, "But then again it is one of those things that if someone had said you would do you would have laughed at them and sent them to a mental institute."

Daud rubbed his hands against his jacket and went over to look at Esma.

"Ah! Esma Boyle, good riddance. She seems to have hit her head but she will be alright."

Corvo leaned his back against the wall, resting his hands on his thighs still feeling slightly dizzy.

"She must have strayed from the party", Corvo uttered, catching his breath, "We have to get her back there."

Daud smirked,

"You were just the damsel in distress that she was, perhaps you need assistance too."

Corvo scowled at the man. His flippant remarks and unusually good humour were making the Lord Protector lose his temper.

"Will you shut it?", Corvo spoke through greeted teeth, "we might have to kill a man today and you behave as a child in a candy store. I'm not in the mood for your stupid jokes."

Daud did not seem discouraged,

"You had to be a terrible assassin if you let such little things affect you so."

Corvo intently eyed the Knife of Dunwall,

"I was. That's why some of my targets still draw breath."

"Touché."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to anyone who is still reading this! Much appreciated.  
> 7 more chapters and an epilogue to go and I will keep them coming.  
> I would love to hear your comments and ideas as to where you think this is all going  
> Ciao


	16. Chapter 16

Esma's breathing was laboured but steady. She seemed to be in a paralyzing shock rather than unconscious. The ordeal was not something she took in lightly, the frail noblewoman she was. In her sickly colourful suit with hair matted with mud she looked like a little girl. Corvo placed her on her side lest she started vomiting. 

Daud shuffled his feet restlessly stealing disapproving glances at the passed out thugs. 

"So what’s the plan?", he asked finally.

Corvo straightened to look directly at the man,

"Did you get the masks?"

Daud reached under his jacket and pulled something out. In his reached out hand he held a black feathery object.

"What is that?", Corvo took it sceptically and saw that it was a mask of some kind of a black bird, "a jackdaw?"

Daud huffed, a smirk sliding across his face,

"A crow."

Corvo examined the mask, concealing the awe at the elaborate design. The way the beak gleamed golden and each black feather was thoughtfully arranged posed an impressive sight. This was not the kind of mask you made yourself out of scraps and glue. Still, the mock in the choice of the animal was too obvious. This was the revenge for calling Daud Benjamin.

"I simply adore your sense of humour", Corvo scoffed while arranging the mask against his face, "Becoming an assassin was a grave mistake, you should have become a comedian."

The crow fitted perfectly, brushing gently against his cheeks. It felt nothing like wearing his own mask. He was not the grim reaper who came out of the shadows to claim lives and that made him feel better about himself. However, he was nonetheless wearing a bird on his face, dressed like an emasculate noble and this was down bringing. 

Daud had in the meantime arranged his mask. An auburn fox, crafted just as well as the crow. Its whiskers were silver threads and so the price must have been formidable. The mask matched Daud's outfit perfectly.

"Well?", the assassin asked spreading his arms and striking a pose, "what do you think?"

Corvo bowed his head with half a smile,

"Unforgettable", he made it sound on the verge of sarcasm although he truly was impressed, "and why a fox? Is it because you're sleazy?"

Daud scowled,

"Cunning", after Corvo's huff he added, "because mere physical strength is not enough."

Daud certainly wasn't some blunt hearty. His occupation was one that came with high mortality rates yet he had managed to withstand all the dangerous those less bright would have fallen prey to. Killing the Empress could not have been an easy task to accomplish, even with the aid of the Outsider. Corvo would not praise him for his work, ever, yet he could respect the ability that it required. 

As the Lord Protector picked up Esma from the ground, a crow covering his face, she did not flinch. Her chest, however, rose and fell at a steady pace. Daud followed in his footsteps and they made their way to Ramsey mansion.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A fox and a crow carrying a woman must have been a peculiar site but then again the Estate District and the whims of aristocrats were unusual. 

They owed fate, or perhaps another more sinister force, that the streets emptied out. At the back of his mind Corvo was growing ever more anxious until Daud's words haven't stirred the silence,

"Do we have a plan?"

Corvo's past experience had showed him that improvisation and making his way towards his target while vigilant for windows of opportunity was mostly successful. Plans changed and formed in the meantime. Still, they needed at least an outline of what it was they were trying to accomplish.

"Emily is our priority", he uttered getting a better hold on Esma who began slipping out of his arms, "We need to find her and get her to safety. I would rather not confront Ramsey while she is still held captive, it might give him an advantage. It is also vital that we actually know which one in the anonymous lot is Ramsey."

Daud nodded as he walked beside Corvo,

"I might be able to help with that. To get those masks I went to the most famous craftsman in the district, where most nobles get theirs. I inquired about Jack Ramsey and what he would be wearing tonight and although I didn't obtain the information I did find out what his mistress will be disguised as. She can tell us all we want to know about Ramsey."

Corvo’s eyebrows went up just to lower into a scowl,

"Mask sellers don't provide such confidential information, it’s against their work ethics."

Daud huffed,

"They do once you know how to convince them."

Corvo hoped that meant that he had bribed the seller rather than clobber him up. 

"Anyway", Daud grunted, despite the sour expression on the face of the Lord Protector, "Adelle White will be wearing a peacock mask. Do you want me to take care of her?"

As sinister as that sounded, Corvo knew it was only play pretend. Although Daud's past was like a deadly shadow following him wherever he went, his current actions made it almost certain that he wouldn't hurt an innocent woman.

It seemed to make sense for Daud to uncover Ramsey's identity while Corvo sneaked out looking for Emily. And yet... It was to be anticipated. Perhaps if it was Corvo who lingered around the party it would confuse anyone watching them intently, buying them the advantage of surprise. After all, it was surely a trap and as much vigilance as they could muster was required. 

On the other hand, entrusting Daud with the search for Emily was in the least risky. Her life meant to him so much more than his own. Corvo was supposed to keep her safe and not only had he allowed for her to be kidnapped but he would also send her mother's murderer to rescue her? 

Although doubts multiplied within him at a staggering pace, he felt deep conviction inside that he could trust this man. So far he did not let him down, he performed better than expected. 

Corvo thought he must have been wrong before. This was the same person who assassinated Jessamine, no man would change this much. However, he had been misguided and now Daud had found a righteous cause, the way to redemption. Corvo only hoped that the deceased Empress would see it too and steady his hand when the time came. Her request was a heavy burden on his soul.

So be it, let him prove himself and make up for his past wrongs.

Daud did not oppose or offer any remarks on the division of work. His indifference reeked with professionalism but it was his thoughtfulness that was bewildering. A gift, he said, a beautiful pair of dark brown leather gloves to fit Corvo's hands. When he tried them on they had felt like second skin while concealing the dreaded mark.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ramsey's mansion was not as grand as the Boyle's. While the women inherited their wealth as members of an old and renowned aristocratic family, Ramsey had earned all he had. His assests had not accumulated through ages but during his single life time. A wonder what an industrious entrepreneur could achieve given the freedom to work. He had not been born with a name, he had created it himself. The title of lord was merely a cherry on the top, a formal appraisal and acknowledgement.

They were still some distance away but lit up like a funfair the building stood out as if floating above the surrounding darkness. The smoothly plastered light brown walls went three stories up and all the windows were decorated with flower garlands. In front of the house was a garden with a central piece of a fountain shooting water at regular intervals. The whole scenic view looked inviting, no hint of anything unpleasant. It was utterly screaming 'a trap'.

No matter how stunning, this was the house of a depraved man. Had this depravity come along with the gift of the Outsider or was it simply aided by it Corvo did not really know. This house was Emily's prison and if her captor had hurt her...

What was he planning anyway? Collecting the power of other gifted men and women, kidnapping the Empress...what did he wish to achieve? With that much magical power one could only aspire and strive for political power next. Perhaps he saw himself as the new Lord Regent, convinced that the rule of an iron fist with the support of the Void would lead the Empire to prosperity and deliver it from a little girl who would have it dismembered. People rarely did not excuse themselves while committing atrocities. Everything always starts with good intentions and somewhere along the way it begins to reek just to prove that deep inside it was rotten all along. 

What Corvo couldn't, however, decipher, was how the Overseers fit into all of this.

 

Esma squirmed in his arms, moaning softly. Her pleasant features were distorted by distress. She managed to pry open her eyes, albeit narrowly, looking around with confusion.

"You are safe now, lady Boyle", Corvo murmured reassuringly. 

Her muscles relaxed as a distant smile haunted her lips. Esma's gaze found Daud walking beside in the fox mask, then she shifted her head to face the crow-man carrying her.

"Thank you", she whispered with an earnest smile. It was not a boast that the Boyle sisters were beautiful, he realized. Esma outstretched her hand towards his face, "my hero."

She tried to pull down his mask but Corvo leaned his head back and she couldn't reach it. Before Esma could compel him to reveal his identity a commotion riveted their attention.

By the gates of the mansion the guards were having a hard time calming down a woman. Corvo and Daud quickened their pace and were soon close enough to hear The woman stood with her back to them, her voice was frantic and her arms gestured violently.

"...no no no!", she squealed at the guards inaction, "you have to go look for her! What if something had happened!"

Esma shifted in Corvo's arms, clearly recognizing the voice.

"Waverly, I'm here!", Esma softly called out to her sister.

Waverly spun around and rushed towards them. Corvo and Daud managed to steal a nervous glance before the second lady Boyle reunited with her sister in a frenzy of kisses making the two men feel out of place. 

After Esma had ensured Waverly countless times that she was fine, they carried her inside and sat her on a bench in the quiet garden, the splashing of the fountain the only noise. The guards at the gate had eyed Corvo and Daud suspiciously until they had presented their invitations. Corvo had been right, Daud had found his invitation waiting for him in the Flooded District.

As Waverly and Esma sat on the bench endlessly expressing their relief, Corvo stood with Daud a few steps away, hands clasped behind their backs, wanting to walk away but knowing it was unacceptable to just leave women alone at a party. Although Corvo had been worried about Esma, she seemed to have put the whole ordeal behind her. Already it had gained the status of an exciting anecdote to tell as entertainment to everyone’s awe. 

Waverly stood to face them,

"Thank you again, gentlemen. You see, me and my sister, we had a quarrel and Esma was so upset she went flying out of the party. I could not find her anywhere, and the guards- ", she glanced at them unfavourably", were no help at all! Oh it is such a blessing that there a still men like you in Dunwall, I dread the idea of what could have happened!"

Esma huffed from the bench,

"Do not be morbid", her spirits were apparently up, to Corvo's surprise, since not long ago she was just a ragdoll in his arms.

Waverly ignored her sister, her gaze sliding between the men's masks,

"But who do we owe are thanks to? I cannot say I have any good guesses."

Cornered, Corvo frantically searched for a good lie or at least an evasive answer. Daud silently grunted, surely just as anxious.

"Waverly", Esma scoffed standing up, "This is a masked ball. The whole point is that you do not know who you indulge yourself with tonight."

She may have rescued their identity but her choice of words made Corvo blush unintentionally. Suddenly it became very hot under the crow.  
Esma slid her arm around his, clenching to his muscles with a mischievous smile,

"I am desperate to dance with my hero."

Corvo remembered then that out of the three Boyle sister, it was Esma who had the renown of being promiscuous. What had he gotten himself into.


	17. Chapter 17

When they entered the ball room, led by the Boyles, Corvo suddenly remembered why he hated parties and never attended them out of his own free will. The cacophony of different sounds and smells drove him crazy. Sharp tones, some kind of experimental music, mixed with the roar of chatter along with a scent of sweat and cigar smoke, not to mention the aroma of fish dishes, was a sickening combination. Still, it was the wall of people that intimidated Corvo the most, all the more that their faces were hidden under grotesque masks. 

Those were the kind of people that could stab you in the back while smiling into your face. Schemes of money and power were the inseparable part of the life of an aristocrat.

He had suffered his portion of such parties. As the Royal Protector he had attended each occasion as Jessamine's bodyguard. The only positive had been that he did not have to pretend he was enjoying himself. Although Jessamine had encouraged him to, he had been more than happy to simply confine himself to being her silent shadow, guarding her each step.

Esma led the way, her hand grasping his arm. Daud followed with Waverly. The two women had put on their masks before entering, both resembling some kind of mechanical devices with gears and cables, gleaming blue like whale oil. 

Esma kept whispering confidentially into his ear as they passed people she recognized, identifying them, none of them Ramsey. Her warm breath against his skin was unsettling.

The music suddenly changed, becoming more melodic. It sounded like a modern version of an old Serkonan song, however, with all the outlandish tones woven into the tune it was barely recognizable for what it was. Still, the guests responded fondly to it, filling in the dance floor. With a sigh of relief, Corvo realized that they had left at least the dances intact.

"Do you dance, my lovely?", Esma purred with her eyes glinting under her bizarre mask.

Asking a Serkonan whether he could dance was considered an insult, the kind of which would leave you offended for generations. Learning to move with music was what children in Serkonos mastered as soon as they had learned to walk, even before they would speak. Corvo's parents might have been poor but they had loved their offspring very much and having respected the local tradition had taken pride in teaching them. Mother had known all the popular prances of common folk but it was father who had taught him the exquisite dances of the high born. Father was a man who had his own story to tell.

Esma did not know that she was asking a Serkonan to danced. Out of a corner of his eye he spotted Daud twirling with Waverly. Corvo took Esma by her hand and led her into the mass of people swayed by music. They joined the current, his hand on her hip, her on his shoulder. She seemed delighted the way he held her firmly in his grasp. Esma easily succumbed to his lead, charmed by his calm composure and deliberate moves. Corvo was surprised to find himself smiling earnestly. He cleared his mind letting his body guide itself effortlessly. It had been too long since he had danced and he had almost forgotten what joy it brought him, a simple joy of going back to his roots, to the sunbathed yard of his house in Karnaca. 

Esma was a good partner, compliant with him, but she could not compare herself to Jessamine. Dancing with the Empress had been rapture, the way she had intuitively anticipated his every move. Holding her close had been breathtaking and so, as much as he tried to imagine that he was now dancing with Jessamine, he could not fool himself. Like a false note, he could not either forget that when the song ended, the hard part began. What is more, they would have to get rid of the Boyle women and he could feel Esma was growing a little too fond of him.

The music subsided and Esma reluctantly let go of him. Corvo bowed, hoping she would release him now. He had not come here to have fun after all, especially not to have Esma Boyle flirt with him. Having saved the woman was beginning to feel like a mistake. 

He looked around. Daud was nowhere to be seen and Corvo hoped he was making better progress.

Esma urged him to a side room decorated with heavy furniture, lit dimly by candles. Corvo eyed the ball room from afar, checking whether anyone was watching him. None of the guests seemed suspiciously interested while the guards who stole glances at them exchanged smirks, surely imagining too much. 

Corvo was relieved to see no Overseers. However, Esma’s behaviour and her besetting of him were troublesome. 

She put her hand onto his chest, tracing around the golden buttons of his jacket. 

"You are an amazing dancer", Esma whispered breathlessly and he knew that if he did not interfere, matters could easily get too far and out of hand. 

Corvo took a step back to free himself from her imprudent hand just to have her corner him by a red sofa. He swallowed heavily at seeing a sly smile spread across her face.

"Lady Boyle, I-"

"Please, call me Esma", she murmured forcing him to sit down with a gentle push. Corvo bounced on the soft plush and before he could get back up, she put a hand on his shoulder. He wanted to blink far away from this woman who was forcing herself so persistently upon him.

"Esma, I have to ask you to stop", he mumbled, trying to sound stern. That did not discourage her, merely brought out a melodic laughter.

"Don’t be a prude", she chided.

Help me Outsider, he desperately wailed inwardly.

"Ah there you are Esma", a male voice came from behind, urging the woman to let go of Corvo and to turn away from him. His saviour, a man in a shiny metal mask, stood stiffly by the door, "Am I intruding?"

"No", Corvo uttered not giving Esma the chance to answer otherwise. He saw the disappointment on her face.

"We were worried about you", the man said encouraged by Corvo’s answer to come into the room.

The Lord Protector used the moment of Esma’s distraction to stand from the sofa. 

"Thank you, Byron", the woman uttered, clearly torn between the two of them, "you are a charmer but as you can see I'm quite fine."

Although she was trying to get rid of him, Byron persistently stepped closer towards her, glaring at Corvo. He offered her his hand,

"Would you do me the honour of having this dance?", Byron bowed his head to Esma, "of course, if your friend here has nothing against."

Lady Boyle wrapped herself around the man's arm, perhaps to readily, then glanced back at Corvo,

"May I, dear?", she was clearly trying to make him jealous.

"With a heavy heart I will agree, but only if you return to me later."

She pursued her lips tight as she left with Byron, content with his answer. Corvo, however, was quite sure that she would forget him just as soon her new partner proved more eager.

Rescued from Esma's straightforwardness he took several deeper breaths to steady his heart. If the Outsider was somehow involved in this, Corvo was ready to hug the whale-god gratefully. 

He sneaked out of the side room and mingled into the crowd of gleefully alcoholised aristocrats. Glittery confetti poured down from the chandelier resembling a colourful snow blizzard. It was difficult to see past it all. People appeared out of the haze just to disappear back into the storm. Faces both smiling and grimacing spun around him. Yet, in all the confusion Corvo managed to spot a woman in a peacock mask, standing by herself, watching the dancers. 

Adele White.

He grabbed two wine glasses from a table as he strode towards her. 

Adele did not see him until he stood before her, a glass in each hand, bowing his head.

"Pardon me for saying this", Corvo uttered getting into character and offering the woman the wine, "but no lady should be alone at a party, unless she seeks solitude for a reason."

She offered him a warm smile, taking the offered alcohol.

"Please, kind sir, do keep me company", she appraised him while taking a sip, "I see we are birds of a feather."

Corvo managed a little laugh,

"True, but I cannot say I have seen a crow and a peacock flock together."

"Oh but we must brake stereotypes, they confine."

She clinked her nails on the glass which was already half-emptied, somehow. He forced himself to drink past the notch in his chest. The wine tasted decent, not at all a sour mouth twister he feared it could be.

"I hear you have rescued lady Boyle who was foolish enough to go running through the streets at night. Everybody is astonished and impressed by your bravery."

That was what he had wished to avoid, fame. It was a blade that cut both ways. Corvo glanced around to see if he was really drawing that much attention. Adele kept on babbling,

"I saw you dancing with her, an electrifying sight. It was truly marvellous they way the two of you moved together, almost-", she posed for a second to smile confidentially, "scandalous. Would you let me in on the secret then?"

Corvo was taken aback by her question, drawing his attention, unsure what she was talking about. His confused expression urged her to elaborate.

"Is there something between you and Esma Boyle?", she obviously did not mean any harm by the question, led only by foolish girly curiosity. Still, he was beginning to feel himself blush under the crow.

"I assure you, I barely know lady Boyle."

She did not seem disappointed by his reply.

"A clue, then, as to who you might be, my mysterious companion. One who is not well acquainted with Esma, that should narrow it down significantly."

Corvo realized Adele was referring to lady Boyle's alleged striking number of partners. She tilted her head, sheepishly,

"But I still have no idea."

"Aah but I know who you are, Ms White."

She parted her lips in surprise, putting down the empty glass.

"Very good", Adele praised him and leaned in, "Do we know each other?"

Corvo merely smiled in response, brushing confetti off his jacket. 

"Are you enjoying the party?", she asked instead, seeing that he will not answer the previous question.

"I am and I would very much like to give my thanks to our host", this was the pivotal moment of the chat. Corvo held his breath hoping she would take the bait.

"Well why don't we look for him?"

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The man had a red suit and a lobster on his head. When Corvo saw him, he was reluctant to approach. The lobster wasn't real of course, still, it had the clamps, beady eyes and whiskers. 

Adele seemed delighted with the terrifying mask, Corvo was disgusted. He was here tonight to confront a crustacean.

Ramsey spread his arms in a welcoming gesture.

"Adele, my dear", his voice was innocently friendly, "are you having fun?"

He took her hand into his and lowered his lobster face as if to kiss it, causing Adele to giggle.

"Why yes!", she exclaimed, "and so is my friend over here."

Adele urged Corvo forward. Ramsey reached out his clamp hand in greeting. The Lord Protector eyed it suspiciously. It was gloved.

Forcing himself to remain calm despite the rushing blood in his veins he grabbed the hand.

"A pleasure to meet you", Corvo uttered with all the light-heartedness he could muster.

The lobster stared back blankly,

"Likewise, Master Crow."

Corvo could not imagine how the man could see anything.

Although he had been preparing himself for this moment mentally, it was patronizing to finally stand before the one who was the source of all the trouble. Surreal, all the more that there was nothing threatening about the man, except maybe for his mask but that was only a facade. Corvo could hardly believe that this was the man who had kidnapped Emily and wanted him and Daud dead for their power. 

Jack Ramsey was just so unremarkable, a dull noble like any other in the gathering. Only constant reminding kept Corvo vigilant of how dangerous the man was. 

Now that the Lord Protector was without Daud's back up, he could be easily overpowered.

Ramsey leaned over to Ms White, brushing her arm,

"Adele, would you be a dear and let as talk alone?"

She appeared rather unhappy to leave but complied with his wish, sinking back into the gathering of people. 

Corvo's anxiety was already a painful throbbing in his head and tensed muscles. What was Ramsey doing?

"Will you walk with me?", he addressed the Lord Protector supposedly with a question, "There is something I want to show you."

Ramsey gestured up a grand staircase and Corvo, not finding any other option, took the lead, feeling a cold breath on his shoulder.


	18. Chapter 18

They beat the stairs ascending in silence. Corvo felt like his leaden feet echoed endlessly while no sound had reached his ears. All was lost in the unnerving music coming from the ball room. He stole a glance at the mass of people enjoying life as if to say his last goodbyes. He could not rid himself of feeling that he was approaching his execution. The sensation of a noose tightening round his neck was so tangible he could not merely dismiss it. To dangle from a rope would undoubtedly be the core event of the evening. 

As they reached the top landing, out of the line of hearing, Ramsey leaned over the rampart above the dancing people. A perfect place to hang. He finally spoke,

"I am glad you accepted my invitation, Master Attano."

Paralyzed, Corvo could neither move nor summon his voice. He stared dumbfounded at Ramsey whose pose displayed smug satisfaction. The man removed the lobster, setting loose blond curly hair. Cold hazel eyes appraised him haughtily,

"Surprised? You thought yourself so inconspicuous in that silly mask of yours?", Ramsey mocked with a furrowed brow. Corvo hardly thought his crow was more silly than a lobster.

"I watched you dance", the man continued rubbing gently his left hand, "Very impressive. No one from Gristol, Tivya or Morley could move like that and there are only two Serkonans here today, I know the guest list, I prepared it myself. Since the fox had encountered snares, I knew you could not be the Knife of Dunwall. You had to be no other than the Royal Protector, Corvo Attano. I cannot say it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance for we have met before and besides, neither of us is here for pleasure I suppose."

The man loved to hear himself talk, no doubt about it. Yet his words made Corvo concerned about Daud. Was he even still alive?

"Shall we?", Ramsey turned to a corridor expecting Corvo to follow. It seemed that he was going to get the grand tour but he feared the end line. The noose was already biting into his skin. However, making a run for it would be in vain. Ramsey would hunt him down. If the Lord Protector had to die here tonight, he at least wanted to see Emily before. 

Corvo stole a last glance at the twirling mass below, enveloped in glitter and confetti. He saw Esma dancing with another man, not Byron. By now she probably had no recollection of events from earlier that evening. Her mysterious hero in a crow mask was lost to her memory.

Ramsey strode deliberately at a slow pace to force Corvo to walk beside him. The Lord Protector did not oblige, stubbornly letting his enemy lead the way. This was his only form of protest, the only way to show Ramsey that he will not be the lamb obliviously going to slaughter. It was a minor and insignificant victory but the symbolism brought slight satisfaction. Walking behind him, Corvo was a prisoner. No play-pretends, tonight everything would be what it truly is.

Portraits watched as they passed, several seemed to gaze with sympathy. They will be the only witnesses of what will happen but the truth of it will be lost on their painted lips.

"Where is Emily", Corvo spoke with a low determined voice unable to withstand the parade anymore.

Ramsey glanced back at him with his eye twitching nervously,

"Straightforward are you? That cannot be an asset in the job of a Royal Protector since you are expected to be complainant with the wishes of the ruler, remaining a vigilant shadow that steadies his hands and tongue. I bet Jessamine had a lot of trouble with you."

Corvo glared with a bottled raged,

"If you mention her again-"

"You what?", Ramsey huffed not bothered to look behind, "are you attempting to threaten me? Don't, it's pathetic. I think we both know quite well how our previous encounter went and how it would have gone were it not for Daud to interfere."

Corvo's gaze fell hopelessly onto the carpet. Where ever Ramsey was taking him, it was stopping him from killing the Lord Protector as they stood. Corvo would not go without a fight even if he was doomed to fail. It would not have been so tragic were it not for Emily and that her fate depended on his success.

Ramsey kept walking and Corvo followed despite himself.

"We can keep this civilized", the host spoke, his fingers bending restlessly behind his back, "we are neither brutes nor savages. This is a nasty business to deal with but it doesn't mean we have behave like wild animals."

The design of the carpet repeated itself with endless sickening triangles, all shades of brown.

"Do you wish me, then, to courtesy as I pierce your heart?", Corvo spat out with clenched teeth.

Ramsey did not favour his words with a reply.

No games. No pretending. No idle chit chat.

Only harsh words and bloody deeds. Only these were true.

A strange low hum reached his ears and the further they went, the sterner it grew. Initially it made Corvo feel terribly uncomfortable, as if he was itching all over and no amount of scratching could bring solace. However, when the sound had become more persistent, his movement became laboured against a sore sensation in his muscles. 

Corvo could see that Ramsey, too, was experiencing difficulties with pushing forward against the invisible current.

He stopped before pried open doors, the sound seeping out.

"I brought you to your trapped fox", Ramsey gestured into the room, "he was snooping around where he shouldn't be. Leash him next time."

The source of the sensation was, as Corvo had suspected, an Overseer music box. This particular one was, however, different, since there was no man turning the reel. It was automated.

The main current of its distorting air chord waves was aimed at a twisted bundle on the floor. Beside the incomprehensible shape lay a fox mask. Corvo ached to lunge towards Daud and drag him away from the Holger device's overpowering force. He knew, however, that such attempted rescue would end with himself helplessly enveloped by agony.

Ramsey stepped over to stand by the music box,

"It's incredible, isn't it, how a combination of musical chords at the right frequency has the potential of reducing us to a bloody wreckage", he removed his left red glove and Corvo saw his mark. Ramsey clenched his hand, his face showing concentration. The Outsider's brand shimmered distantly but nothing happened. The host sighed with effort and frustration and clicked on something that reduced the pitch of the music box into a bearable low hum.

Corvo, ignoring Ramsey who went further into the room, leaped towards Daud and pushed him over onto his side. Blood trickled from his nose and ears in rivulets matching the colour of his shirt. Corvo took one of Daud's hands into his own to check his pulse. His hand was covered in a network of scratches, some oozing. The itching that could not be contained...

His pounding veins filled Corvo with relief and a bitter sweet pang of hope. He was alive and he was also breathing by himself. The Lord Protector removed his mask own and grabbed Daud by his shoulders, shaking him insistently and calling his name. He had to live.

The man finally coughed, gasping for breath as his eyes opened narrowly. Seeing Corvo bending over him he grabbed his arm frantically stuttering in a barely audible voice.

"Let me present to you your choices", Ramsey uttered from a dark corner. When Corvo's gaze followed his voice the sight made him freeze. Ramsey was standing behind a chair on which Emily sat, gagged and tied up. He was holding a knife to her throat. Emily's eyes sleepily found Corvo’s, struggling to keep them open. With her pale face and dilated pupils she seemed under influence of a drug. Emily acted oblivious of the blade touching her neck with murderous intent, remaining unnaturally calm. This was perhaps a blessing in disguise.

"Pay attention!", Ramsey demanded grabbing Emily's hair. She did not fight back, "Either I kill our beloved young Empress or one of you kills the other. The latter is what I am more interested in. I am sure you know it is your power I seek. Seeing how Daud is rather...not disposable, I direct this to you, Corvo. Kill Daud or I kill Emily."

Corvo's mind race. This wasn't a choice, this was torture. He could not understand what was happening. Maybe if he did he could solve this somehow, find a way out of this dead end. Nothing made sense anymore. He wanted to scream and pull his hair out with confusion, instead he merely stared at Emily and at Daud. 

"Why would you kill the Empress?", Corvo inquired trying to buy some time, "without her the whole country could fall into chaos and ruin and you would not get closer to getting our power."

Ramsey huffed with a smirk. His free hand tenderly stroked Emily's hair making Corvo sick with the desire to back-hand him.

"You don't see the whole picture. I assure you that personally I hold no aspiration for her position, believe me or not. Politics is a waste of time. However, my...friends would gain if she would be removed. They are quite persistent and would keep the Empire intact. Still, it is not really my business. I have other ways to encourage you to cooperate when this one fails. Sooner or later you will break. I told you, I want to keep this civilized that is why I give you the easy way out. Kill Daud and we will be done with it."

Corvo's gaze fell onto the assassin spread by his knees. His eyes were shut but they twitched under the lids as if Daud was fighting a battle inside of him.

"If I kill Daud", Corvo thought aloud," what would stop you from killing me?"

Ramsey spread his arms, clearly his patience running thin,

"I don't guarantee anything but you can be sure that if you don't, I slice this delicate neck. But if you do, who knows, maybe I will be satisfied for years to come before I desire more power."

Corvo glared at the man from under a furrowed brow,

"You are sick."

"And are you a saint? The Outsider speaks to me, just like he speaks to you. He told me some things about you, enough that I know that you have no right to judge me. I wonder though what he has told you about me. Anyway, he seemed rather fond of you, not so much of Daud, so I imagine your death would upset him more. Just kill him, Corvo, like Jessmaine wanted you to."

This made Corvo stand up straight despite of himself,

"How do you know that?,". he asked evenly, concealing the whirl of emotions within him.

"Keep it simple and oblige by your Empress' wishes."

Had she tried to make this choice easier for him? He had to protect Emily at all costs, he had sworn. Of course it would have been best if neither had to die but he did not have such a choice. It was preposterous to suspend Emily's life over Daud's. Jessamine had commanded his death, it would be justice. Daud had murdered her, a voice in Corvo's head shouted angrily, convincingly, over and over again. Yet, right now he felt only pity looking down at Daud and if he was forced to kill this man to save Emily, it would break him. 

He returned his gaze to Ramsey,

"You didn't answer my question."

The man looked displeased and uncomfortable stiffly holding the knife against Emily's neck,

"So you want to complicate already. I told you, I have other ways to get your compliance and that is it. My power allows me, to some extent, to summon the dead, their spirits. So you have me to thank for your little rendezvous with Jessamine. We struck a bargain, she would get to see you but she had to deliver a message. The little minx tried to cheat me."

It made sense now, her words as she had been drawn away. 

It was comforting to be reassured that it truly had been her but to know that she had been delivering a message from Ramsey... A message, kill Daud. It was not her wish, it was Ramsey’s.

"Jessamine did not want revenge", Corvo murmured with the sudden realization making matters both easier and yet so much harder.

"Maybe she wants him dead, who knows, the man killed her after all", Ramsey said casually, "but now you have to kill him without her order. See what you have done? But coming back to Jessamine. I may be forced to rely on her help again if you refuse to do this right."

Corvo clenched his fists,

"She would never comply."

"I don't need her to. Let me give you food for thought. Imagine dreaming every night from now about her agonizing death, hearing her screams and her begging for your help, about her being tortured, defiled and all you can do is stand and watch. I don't want to do this to you, Corvo, you are the one trying to complicate things."

Corvo shook with dread over the imagines Ramsey's words instilled in his head. He knew that he would break under such pressure. He couldn't let Jessamine be tormented even in death.

"You think on it", Ramsey insisted, "Daud, let me address you now, since the Lord Protector is so hard to reason with. Kill Corvo just as Billie told you to" he paused for a moment seeing no reaction from the assassin, he sighed, "Fine, I had something to do with this, too. I possessed her body, but not the way you do, yours is more limited. She is locked up somewhere and if I have to I will use her again to encourage you, in whatever way."

Daud did not respond, he was staring at the floor, blood dripping from his nose into a small puddle.

"Thinking time over. Choose now or I will choose for you", Ramsey pressed the blade tighter to Emily's neck, cutting it shallowly.

Corvo had made up his mind. He would not play by Ramsey's rules. In the choice he was given there was nothing to choose from. He could not kill Daud, the man who sought redemption and who had so stubbornly refused to hurt Corvo. Daud had aided him in this ordeal with great devotion. 

Corvo had to be fast now. If he was, perhaps he would catch Ramsey off guard, and get to him before-

A grunt from Daud riveted his attention. The little pool of blood was increasing at a sickening rate. His arm splashed against it as he tried to steady himself.

"I made my choice", his horse voice had an eerie quality. Daud dropped a dagger onto the floor and reached for his abdomen before he collapsed.


	19. Chapter 19

With an empty mind Corvo knelt beside Daud. The pain he was in was so immense that it seemed to radiate from him. It wasn't supposed to be like this.

Corvo reached out to try and address the wound but he was suddenly pushed back against the wall as Ramsey lunged towards Daud like a scavenger. Darkness started surrounding the dying man and a wild satisfactory grin spread across the victor's face. Daud yelled, his skin bursting open. His scream sounded like his soul was being torn. Tears of agony streamed down his cheeks.

The whole room seemed to grow dimmer while Ramsey performed his profane ritual. He was so deeply engaged in the process, he paid no heed to Corvo, most certainly deeming him not a threat anymore. 

The Lord Protector did not hesitate, instinctively knowing that he could not let Ramsey get stronger nor let him torment Daud like this. He grabbed the music box, turning up its volume to the maximum potential. Even though he was behind the device he had to struggle to think clearly and control his body. 

Ramsey staggered back with an angry growl. He glared at Corvo, frenzied fury in his eyes but that was all the response he could muster. Blood shot from his nostrils. The Lord Protector rushed at him despite the invisible resistance, holding the music box like a shield. He crushed square into the man, both grunting from the heavy impact. Ramsey clearly wanted to utter vile words, yet his mouth was twisted in agony. Corvo kept pushing forward, his opponent weakening as the chords reverberated through his body, panic growing in his eyes. 

Ramsey's back hit the window, glass shards flying in each direction. Night air filled the room with a sudden gust of wind. Before he started falling with the music box clenched to his chest, Ramsey managed to get a hold of Corvo's sleeve, pulling the Lord Protector down with him.

Below, cobblestones of the secluded backyard spun around nauseatingly, as Corvo grabbed the ledge of the window, holding onto life. His shirt shrieked as the material was torn unable to support Ramsey's weight. Short after a sickening thud reached Corvo's ears as the music box and the man crushed against the ground. 

He didn't look down, his imagination did that for him, drawing gruesome pictures in his mind.

Corvo levered himself back into the room, scattered glass biting into his hands. The Lord Protector decided upon quickly untying Emily first, seeing her returning to her senses. He cut the ropes with Ramsey's knife and removed the gag covering the girl’s mouth. She seemed still dazed the way her eyes darted about. They fixed on the face of her Lord Protector, squinting to clear her vision,

"Corvo", Emily wailed softly trying to clench to reality. He reassuringly kissed her forehead, stroking it tenderly.

"You're safe now, honey", he whispered hoping it was true, "Lie down, I will be with you in a minute."

Corvo left Emily with a heavy heart and walked over to Daud, feeling cold dread. He gently rolled the man onto his back causing the assassin to moan. Corvo knelt beside him, unable to say anything, yet relieved that Daud was still drawing breath. This could, however, quickly change since his state was critical with the amount of blood he had lost and the possible internal damage caused by the blade. Corvo tried to pry open Daud's clenched hands to examine the wound but the assassin hissed with a twitch of his body,

"Fuck", Daud cursed weakly, "Perhaps it wasn't such a good idea."

Corvo managed a little laugh despite himself, despite his eyes growing glassy.

"It was a terrible idea, you idiot", his voice broke slightly over the last words, "what were you thinking?"

Corvo tried to make it sound like an accusation but it sounded more like a plea. He felt something warm touch his hand and looking down realized it was the pool of Daud's blood. The man closed his eyes and took several deeper breaths,

"I wanted to save Emily, I owed her that. If I would die so that she may live, maybe I would find my redemption", he paused to groan in pain, "I guess I will find out if there is peace in death soon enough."

Corvo's heart was pounding loudly as he placed his hand over Daud's, pressing down the wound, surely causing more hurt but knowing it was necessary,

"You don't have to die to find peace."

Daud huffed with a faint smile,

"I think you are forgetting who you're dealing with, Corvo."

The Lord Protector shook his head, unable to understand how this strong man could be so resigned.

"I always remember, but I believe we deserve a second chance."

"So I just took my second chance. I'm a bad man, bodyguard, rotten to the core. I thought that some virtuous acts could cancel out my whole life of misdeeds. But you know what? If I got to live it out again, I would do it all the same. Killing nobles gave me satisfaction. It made me feel big, important, powerful, like I could change something. And I did. I nearly ruined the Empire. I wish for a lot of things not to have happened so the least I could do was to die so that a girl whose life I destroyed may live."

"You’re not dead yet, don’t speak as if you were. I will take you to Sokolov, he will help you."

"No one can help me. Please, just let me die, this way my life can have some meaning."

"Shut up, don’t talk like this! This is nonsense!", he felt a tear rushing down his cheek. Being both sad and angry he shut his eyes trying to calm down.

"Why do you want me to live so?"

Daud's question made his head spin. Corvo did not answer. Truly, he did not know himself. Indeed, why? Why should he fight for the life of Jessamine’s murderer. 

Nevertheless, he was deeply convinced that this was wrong, that what Daud was doing was giving up although it was clear that if he had not struck himself, it would be Emily’s life on the line now.

Daud squirmed stiffly, taking a small bundle out from under his jacket. He passed the object wrapped in blood-sunken brown paper to Corvo,

"Give this to Emily, will you?", his voice was calm, not resigned but conforming.

"You can give it to her yourself", Corvo spat out refusing to treat this like the last wish, refusing to treat Daud like a dying man. Still, he took the package hiding it under his own jacket.

"Corvo", Daud grabbed the Lord Protector's arm, his eyes growing out of focus, "I would never ask for forgiveness, I know I don’t deserve it. But I want you to know that I am sorry, heartbreakingly sorry, for everything."

Corvo wanted to argue that he would not listen to words that sounded like last goodbyes but a clenched throat and welling up tears told him to hear him out. Daud was welcoming death and the Lord Protector knew it was not within his power to force this man to live. Inside he was screaming, unable to save Daud from his own choices.

A commotion outside riveted his attention. Wild barking, followed by loud footsteps and raised voices motioned him to peek carefully through the broken window.

A hound was sniffing around the body of Ramsey, whose sudden squirm in a bloody heap of gears from the music box made Corvo realize that he had somehow survived the fall. The way he twitched, however, made it obvious that his injuries immobilized him.

"Good boy", a voice called out, an Overseer emerging from the shadows. The hound wiggled its tail at the master's approval, pacing between him and Ramsey. 

The Overseer glanced around, searching for the cause of the scene. He casually kicked around pieces of the music box as his eyes found the broken window. His mask seemed to gleam brightly the way it reflected the moon light. 

Corvo ducked rapidly back, hoping the man did not see him. 

An Overseer here? That spelled trouble as if there was not enough of that.

"What happened here, Ramsey?", the man outside inquired haughtily. His hound was growling.

Corvo peeked out again.

Ramsey was trying to reach out his arm but the unnatural angle at which it bent allowed him only to drag it with a resentful groan.

"Attano", the injured man wailed.

The Overseer turned on the heels to leave, the hound following faithfully. He was clearly uninterested in Ramsey's fate and unaffected by his suffering.

"Wait!", the host called out with desperation, "help me!"

Terrible silence rung in the air as the Overseer stopped, considering, his hound expectantly looking up at him. Suddenly, he drew his pistol and without a word aimed it at Ramsey. The deafening shot made Corvo flinch and coward away from the sight.

"Filthy heretic", the Overseer spat as the thumping of his boots grew more distant.

Corvo took a deep breath, unprepared for such a needless cruelty.

He had to act fast now, he knew, but as the chords of more music boxes reached his ears it appeared there was no time at all. The Overseers were already here.

He rushed towards Daud, and yanked open his shirt, sparing no thought for gentleness.

"What are you doing?", the assassin whispered, staring absently at Corvo.

The Lord Protector tore at the fabric, catching glimpses of Daud's heavily scared muscular chest.

"I'm not leaving you here for the Overseers, we are getting out."

He wrapped the material tightly around the wound receiving quiet swears in return.

Corvo grunted barely managing to lift Daud, his legs trembling. He forced himself to ignore the heavy weight, knowing there was no alternative.

Emily was still dazed, sitting with her back against the wall. She stared at Corvo carrying another man with a dumbfounded expression. Clearly, she could not make sense of the situation.

"What?", was all she could form despite the heart sinking confusion in her tired eyes.

"We have to get out of here", Corvo urgently mumbled, unsure how long he can carry Daud around, "can you stand up?"

Sliding up the wall, her hands clasped against it to steady her composure, she obliged but the way she wobbled to the sides made it obvious that she needed support to walk. It would be best just to carry her but that was not an option.

"Lean against my arm", Corvo told her as he steeled himself for the arduous task of getting them out of Ramsey's mansion. 

Emily wrapped her thin arms around Corvo's bent elbow and her gaze fixed on Daud. It was impossible to tell if she recognized the man who had once kidnapped her for her expression was bluntly emotionless. Corvo hoped she hadn't identified him lest she get scared.

He guessed she will get her dose of fear anyway. Emily was about to taste a sample of the power of the Void.

With Daud in his arms and Emily leaning against him, he stepped over to the ledge of the smashed open window. Wind tugged at their hair filing their lungs with cold bursts. Below lay the remains of Ramsey but Corvo only spared a short glance. 

I hope that death brought you peace, he thought to himself with an unexpected pang of sorrow. 

The world fell apart around them as they blinked down into bushes. Emily gasped, her nails biting scornfully into his flesh. She could not comprehend how it was possible for them to suddenly be standing in the backyard. There was no time to help her understand or to calm her. In another blink of an eye they were standing on a closed dumpster by the fence. 

Corvo looked back, stirred by numerous voices. From the window they were in just second's ago, now golden masks glared. One of the Overseers pointed at them, shouting commands. Hounds came rushing round the corner but they were beyond their reach, already behind the fence on a shack roof. 

Not looking back anymore, Corvo led them with a racing heart, flashing higher up buildings and down through alleys, as if through valleys and hilltops. The sudden turn of events made his head spin but he had no time to ponder it over, he had to act despite the growing weariness. With every glimmer of the mark he grew weaker until he knew he could go no further. 

They stopped in a dump alley, wading through mud. Corvo desperately needed a break or Piero's remedy but he didn't have either. Emily's wide open eyes gazed into darkness of the night, her thoughts trying to catch up with her. She let go of his elbow, standing stiffly like a pole. Better than wiggling to the sides, he guessed.

Corvo looked down at Daud, his pale face deeply contrasting with the blood covering him. He was still, dead still.

"No!", Corvo screamed, panic overpowering self-control. He lay Daud down on the wet ground and put an ear to his mouth and then to his chest. No breath stirred the man.

"Daud!", Corvo pleaded shaking the assassin. He couldn't be dead! Just moments ago he was grunting in pain, talking. 

Emily turned to stare silently at Corvo's anguish. Daud’s head tilted back and his lips parted but he did not draw a breath. The Lord Protector hopelessly, rhythmically pressed down his chest, whispering pleadingly. Unrestrained tears flooded his face, dripping down onto the mud mixed with blood.

Time lost meaning. It could have been either hours or seconds as Corvo tried to revive Daud.

He realized he had been dully banging a fist against his chest in resignation, to no avail. 

Emily tugged at Corvo’s shoulder,

"They are here", she uttered with alarm. 

Emily was right. His desperate attempts submerged him so he did not hear that the Overseers were just behind the corner.


	20. Chapter 20

They came rushing with wildly howling hounds. Corvo had just enough time to shove Emily behind a dumpster, hoping she will remain in hiding and not attempt anything foolish. Even if he wanted to run he could not, paralyzed by the pain caused by the eerie chords of music boxes. 

A dozen Overseer with a dozen frenzied dogs surrounded them, their smart uniform contrasting with their brutish intentions. One of them, a leader, stepped out of the circle and towards Corvo. As he removed the wickedly grinning mask a similar expression appeared from under it. 

His face was familiar. Overseer Jameson.

"What a delightful meeting, Corvo", he mocked with a haughty glare, "Two dangerous heretics in one catch, the High Overseer will be pleased."

The man yammered on tauntingly, knowing he had the upper hand and finding it promiscuously satisfying. Corvo wanted nothing more than to blast Jameson and his obedient dogs into oblivion, alas he could barely stand feeling blood trickling from his ears and nose. All he could hear was that crazed noise, out of tune, making his head spin.

"Are you even listening to me?", Jameson uttered infuriated. 

He pushed Corvo back forcing the Lord Protector to trip and fall beside Daud. They both stared with empty eyes up into the sky hoping for a miracle and with no strength to fight. Corvo glanced at his former enemy, alarmingly still for someone once so full of fervour. He had sacrificed himself for Emily, just as he had said.

"I forgive you", Corvo whispered.

Jameson bent over him with a furrowed brow,

"What are you mumbling there? Not so full of defiance now, are we?", he spat at Corvo, "you disgust me, servants of the Outsider. The High Overseer will deal with you, filth."

He waved a hand at his troops and two masked Overseers approached.

"Take Attano to the railcar", Jameson ordered them.

One uniform took out a syringe, while the other appraised Daud,

"And what should we do with him?"

Jameson gestured dismissively,

"The Knife of Dunwall took an early demise. He's of no use to us, dump his body in the river."

Corvo wanted to scream a protest but just then a sharp needle penetrated the skin of his neck. In seconds he was as limp as if he had no bones. Truth be told, he could not feel or move any part of his body. He would have panicked but he was only distantly aware of what was happening. 

Corvo saw how two Overseers dragged Daud away. He knew he should be enraged. 

No heated emotions stirred him. He did not care about anything. 

They took him away, under stars and under metal roofs. There, above the deafening screeching, he heard someone say that they need to search a mansion for an Empress. This was somehow relevant, he knew, but in the state of dulled awareness he was half asleep, lulled by rhythmic bouncing.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The stripes were a curiosity. Long shiny parallel lines seemed soothing with their geometric simplicity. Corvo wasn't sure how long he had been gazing at them, astonished and amazed. They had occupied the whole of his mind, their pattern easy enough to follow. 

Cold dread replaced the childish curiosity as he gradually started making sense of the situation. The shiny lines were metal bars marking his confinement. He tried to look around, frantically searching for an escape route. 

Corvo couldn't move. His arms and legs were strapped to a chair, the leather straps biting into his flesh. 

The room was scarcely furnished, with a sole desk on which lay stacks of papers and an audiograph. The air stunk of blood although there were no visible traces of it. 

Atop a small balcony overviewing the interrogation room stood a man in a red uniform of the High Overseer. Corvo suddenly recognized the surrounding. It was the more infamous part of the Office belonging the leader of the Abbey at Holger Square. The bane on heretics.

"Did you think you would escape justice?" ,Curtis bellowed as if performing a sermon, "no position or office can protect those who serve the Outsider. The Royal Protector, not even an Empress, is above the law."

Corvo struggled against his restrains,

"I broke no law", he uttered through gritted teeth.

Curtis smirked and leaned against the railing. He was a relatively young man to be the High Overseer, but then again so had been Martin. His pallid complexion was complemented by short light hair and piercing blue eyes. 

"The mark on your hand is enough to have you branded and hanged publicly", he said evenly but with menace, "I know about you more than you can imagine. You see, I was Teague Martin's very close friend and his right hand for the brief time he held this position. He confined in me and told me about his, Havelock's and Pendleton's little plot and the part you played in the whole undertaking. My, an assassin, how impressive. Martin kept a vigilant eye on you, with the way you would appear and disappear, along with other strange occurances. He suspected black magic and he was right. Unfortunately, he failed in removing you out of the picture, maybe he'd still be alive today if he hadn't."

As much as Corvo feared for his life, he was far more concerned about Emily. Did she manage to escape, or had the Overseers caught her too? She had to be so scared, left alone, with him being dragged away. And Daud...to end his existence at the bottom of the Wrenhaven... The thought caused a shiver to run down Corvo's spine. He deserved better. 

It seemed that a similarly disrespectful fate awaited the Lord Protector.

"The Loyalist conspiracy collapsed in on itself, all of them corrupted with power", Corvo mumbled, hoping that the longer they talked the more he would postpone the torture that no doubt was planned for him,"I arrived at the lighthouse to see their glorious work in ruins. They had a noble cause but the manner of executing their ideals turned out foul. Whatever it is you have on mind must be equally just, am I wrong? This isn't just about me. You wouldn't go to such lengths for a mere heretic."

Curtis shook a finger at him with grin,

"You are a clever one, shame that you haven't decided to become an Overseer, you would have a good future ahead of you."

"What about Ramsey? He was your ally."

"Don’t be ridiculous. He was merely means to an end. Ramsey thought himself more clever than he was since he failed to see that we held him in our grasp. As you see today we had actually tackled the issue of three heretics, very dangerous ones I might add."

"You flatter me but still I have a hunch there is more to this, if not I would already be dead. Why keep me alive?"

Curtis spread his arms, in mock surprise,

"Why to exhort a confession out of you! You must admit to the vile deeds committed in the service of the Outsider. I believe in the rule of law, not arbitrary actions. I need you to confess about yourself and about Emily Kaldwin, so that we may persecute the both of you and establish a stable rule, not reigning of an oblivious child supported by a blasphemous bodyguard. Unless we do it legally we risk upheaval and chaos, such are these troubled times. The Abbey is the moral spine of the Empire and it is only logical and reasonable to have us as the only authority."

Corvo was struck speechless. This was another power hungry mad-man hiding behind honourable ideals and goals.

"You would execute the Empress? A little girl? She has no connections to the Outsider!"

Curtis’ eyes gleamed dangerously,

"The Empress is adhering to council of a heretic, so she is just as deprived as you and unfit to rule. The life of one girl is a small price to pay when the future of the whole Empire and its citizens is at stake. I will not stand down obligingly for the Outsider to take control of my homeland!"

Corvo's gaze matched the High Overseer's,

"I will never speak against the Empress", he growled with inner conviction.

Curtis stepped back from the railing, raising his chin high,

"We will see about that."

Doors suddenly swung open and another uniformed man entered. He slicked back hair from a broad forehead as he stood towering above Corvo.

"I believe, Master Attano, that you and Overseer Jameson have already met", Curtis called out as he prepared to leave the balcony through a separate exit, "I have no time to stay now but I have faith in you, Benedict, to perform your duties accordingly."

Jameson smiled with a nod of his head.

"Yes, High Overseer."

As Curtis left, Corvo felt his spirits sink even lower. Jameson strode over to the desk, flipping through the documents and setting up the audiograph. The uncertainty and the insecurity of the wait were forcing Corvo to retreat into himself. He had suffered enough torture in his life to know that if he wished to withstand he needed something to hold onto to. All he had to do was remain silent and not succumb to their demands. Corvo had little optimism, still that would not compel him to cooperate hoping for better treatment. 

"Bureaucracy", Jameson huffed with resignation as he worked a quill in his hand.

"So have you been appointed as my tormentor?", Corvo asked sarcastically, "or was it your fancy."

Jameson's brow drew down in faint confusion. He put down his papers and fixed Corvo in an almost compassionate glare.

"You are mistaken if you think me to be the sort of person to enjoy hurting others. I am an Overseer and it is my duty to serve the Abbey in ratting out heretics and delivering justice upon them but even such vile creatures as yourself are my brothers and it is with a heavy heart that I inflict pain. No, I am no tormentor and yes, I was appointed but as the one to supervise the interrogation, not to perform it."

The expression on Jameson's face told him that he spoke with the utmost honesty and conviction. He truly believed to be doing right in his twisted narrow mind. There was no reasoning with him nor with any other Overseer. It occured to him that maybe Curtis wasn't really after power, maybe he was indeed convinced that his actions were for the greater good of the Empire.

"But you can't say that I haven't warned you", Jameson uttered with his head bend over his documents, "this is how consorting with the Outsider ends."

Corvo snapped a little laugh, putting the Overseer at a loss.

"I bet he finds it funny, the idea of me consorting with him. Yeah, he'd wish."

Jameson stared at him dumbfounded, the quill frozen in his stiff hand.

"Oh really?"

"Indeed. He says that I am ungrateful and that I should act with more fondness towards him."

The Overseer's eyes narrowed,

"Is that what he tells you when you worship him at his shrines?"

Corvo made a sour face,

"Not really. Mostly when he intrudes on my personal space uninvited."

Jameson seemed surprised but made no comment. Corvo decided there was no point in denying his connections to the Outsider, the Overseers already knew a lot and playing dumb would be of no use. However, he figured, if his life was to end in this confinement, he would adhere to the truth before death.

"So what is the plan?", Corvo murmured, impatient despite what awaited him, "how will you force me to lie?"

Jameson irritably put down his quill and approached the Lord Protector, his fists clenched at the sides,

"You will confess to serving the Outsider and to having demoralized the Empress. Until you do you will be punished in accordance with breaking the Strictures."

"That's only seven, seven days for seven strictures. And when that is not enough?"

The Overseer glared, hot rage radiating from him,

"That shouldn’t be your greatest concern. We have decades of experience in dealing with your kind."

He turned around and returned to the desk, putting the audiograph on record. He then readjusted his gloves and wearily rubbed his face.

"Corvo Attano, I give you your first chance to confess your sins. Do you plea guilty of heresy?"

"No", Corvo hissed with anxiety.

"What about the mark of the Outsider on your hand?"

"I never asked for it."

Jameson seemed perplexed for a brief moment. He worked his fingers restlessly as he paced glancing between Corvo and the audiograph.

"Will you confess?"

"No."

He walked pass Corvo and fussed with something that made a metallic ring as he moved it around. Jameson then came over to face the Lord Protector, a long white-hot rod in his hand.

"I, therefore, proclaim you a heretic, an enemy of the Everyman and of the Empire of the Isles and a servant of the Outsider. Embrace the brand, sinner."

A swift tug on Corvo's plum-purple shirt tore it open revealing the muscular torso beaded with sweat. Before the Lord Protector could summon his voice to protest it turned into a shriek of anguish as the heated metal sizzled against his chest, burning the elaborate design of the heretics brand into his skin. Corvo screamed helplessly, trying to pull back until his vision faded into white mist.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Warning* slight torture themes but i tried to keep it mild
> 
> The words of the Strictures are quotations from Dishonored

The low hum of the music box was ever present in the surrounding darkness. The throbbing pain of his chest reassured him that this was no dream. This was day one of the torture, more commonly addressed to as interrogation. 

"Restrict the Wandering Gaze that looks hither and yonder for some flashing thing that easily catches a man's fancy in one moment, but brings calamity in the next (...) fix your eyes to what is edifying and to what is pure, and then you will be able to recognize the profane monuments of the Outsider", Jameson had proclaimed in the form of a little sermon to which Corvo had paid little attention. 

He reached out his arms to get the feel of where he was. As they were outstretched they could mark all four walls. He cradled himself against one, convincing himself that a day in pitch blackness was not that bad. However, the longer he sat there, disoriented and hurting, the more he feared that he had actually gone blind. The world could not be this much deprived of light, they must have burned out his eyes just liked they had burned his torso. 

His gaze would not wander, that was sure enough, yet he failed to see how has he sinned against the first stricture. Corvo had not sought out flashy desires, his eyes had always been fixed on the Empress, waiting for a signal or sign of how to serve her. He tried to envision her face in his mind but with the haunting chords playing in the distance he couldn’t think straight. 

Despite not being able to summon Jessamine, he realized that he could feel a feeble presence in the darkness. It was barely tangible, yet he had had enough dealings with the Outsider to recognize even that trace. The music box must have not permitted him to fully descent into the room. However, knowing that he was not entirely alone, Corvo was oddly comforted. Perhaps he was never really alone. 

He glanced around, searching for where the presence was the strongest, yet finding nothing that would stand out in the nothingness.

"I screwed up", Corvo heaved, "Emily is Void knows where, Daud is dead and after they mutilate me and torture me beyond what I can withstand they will kill me too."

Silence answered him. No one offered a word of comfort or sympathy. 

Corvo sat against the walls for hours, with no food or water, his only companion a shadow of the Outsider with whom he conversed one-sidedly.

After what felt like years later, Jameson had come asking for a confession. Corvo gave him none.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Another day brought no hope. 

"Restrict the lying tongue that is like a spark in a man's mouth", Jameson preached, "The echoes of lies come back as the voice of the Outsider."

Corvo's eyes hurt from the unusually bright light. This time Jameson had brought with himself another Overseer. The stranger had, however, remained silent and adhered to Jameson’s orders. 

Corvo was strapped into a strange metal device that kept his tongue in place and disabled him from closing his mouth, making the mere act of swallowing saliva a hardship. He remained like this until he felt as dry as gravel. Then, the unknown Overseer, his face concealed by the golden mask, started whipping Corvo’s back as retribution for the lies his tongue presumable had spat out. 

Jameson stood to the side, watching, noting and occasionally stopping the other man when he was overzealous. By the time they were done, Corvo was barely conscious, his face flooded with tears. Yet, upon the request to speak he refused and not simply because he could not since his tongue was so stiff after hours in the contraption. He was determined not to give up.

Half carried and half dragged, Corvo was taken out of the interrogation room and into a cell. 

As they had crossed the corridors, he had recognized them, stirring images in his head. The Archives, the High Overseer's office, it was like a déjà vu. Several servants had followed behind scowling at the stains of blood he had left behind on the carpets. 

Nearby howling told Corvo that his cell must have been somewhere close to the kennel where the Overseers kept their hounds. It was damp and cold with not even a chair or a bucket to furnish it. 

Every inch of his body burnt and stung whilst the haunting music ceaselessly echoed through the air. For some time Corvo stood under dripping water from the ceiling, wetting his mouth. What scarce he caught was precious. He then laid on the side, exhausted and with a grumbling stomach, trying to drift into sleep. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Awaken by footsteps Corvo falsely believed for a brief moment that he was back in Coldrige Prison. Interrogations involving hot rods intertwined with endless questions and request for him to confess. The pain was real. It throbbed from open wounds, blisters and bruises. What did they want from him? He hasn't killed the Empress, he would never say such a filthy lie even to protect himself. 

Corvo's hand went to the healing brand on his chest. No, that was not what they wanted this time.

"Lord Protector", a feminine voice whispered, dragging his mind back into the miserable cell. 

A face formed out of the shadows just beyond the bars of his confinement. It was Tilia. 

When she saw him in the current state, she whimpered silently. Her fingers clenched to the metal rods. With her other hand she passed him a small bundle, her eyes fixed on his.

"I managed to snatch this for you."

Corvo took the gift and almost gasped when in the wrapping he discovered bread. He instantly nibbled on it under her vigilant gaze.

"I am forever grateful", he managed as he devoured his first meal since...well he wasn't sure since when, "but what are you doing here?"

She sighed, dropping her eyes,

"They called me back because I had made no progress in invigilating the Tower. Still, it seems to have been a hidden blessing, for you", Tilia offered him a small but warm smile, "I also have a message for you."

Corvo's eyebrow's shot up in surprise, only crumbs left in his palms. He stepped closer towards the young woman.

"Whom from?"

She shrugged,

"A man, I couldn't well see his face from under the hood he wore. He gave me this", a piece of paper appeared in he hand, "He paid me to give it to you."

Corvo unfolded the message and read breathlessly, the unfamiliar handwriting barely visible in the dark room.

E is safe.

That was all it contained but it meant the world to him. Emily was safe. He sighed with the sort of relief he could not imagine possible in the hopeless place.

Corvo gently brushed his fingers against Tilia's hand.

"Thank you."

The young woman gave him a single nod.

"I should go. I saw another prisoner on my way here, I will smuggle some food for her too."

"Her?"

Tilia glanced around but the corridor behind her remained empty,

"Yes, a dark-skinned woman."

Could it be a coincidence? Corvo doubted. He had every reason to believe that it was Billie Lurk, Daud's former second-in-command. The Overseers must have apprehended her as well.

"Be strong, Corvo", Tilia whispered, for the first time addressing him by his name. She put two fingers to her lips and then placed them on his cheek. As she turned to leave, Corvo succumbed to the inner peace that befell him.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next three days blurred into one never-ending struggle against the pain. Restless hands, roving feet, rampart hunger... 

The ever present Overseer Jameson had paced and preached as if he hoped he could still bring Corvo around and turn him into a believed. That was not the true purpose, of course. No matter what he did or said this ordeal would end in the Lord Protectors death. 

Curtis had visited them on several occasions and made that perfectly clear. Nevertheless, if Corvo cooperated, the torture would end and the execution would be swift, he assured. 

Knowing that Emily was out of the immediate danger he could keep his silence forever, just like he had in Coldrige.

"Restrict the Restless Hands, which quickly become the workmates of the Outsider", with these words they tormented his hands, cutting, burning, whipping, and even crushing them under boots. His arms later hang uselessly by his sides, several fingers dismembered and possibly broken.

"Restrict roving feet that love to trespass". The same torture awaited his legs. 

On the third day he laid on the cold stones of his cell, unable to move. Jameson stood above him, "Restrict the Rampant Hunger or the intemperate will rise up among you like a virulent swarm, devouring everything wherever they go, even filth". 

Then he left. It was obvious that the man was growing impatient due to Corvo's stubbornness.

The Lord Protector was to be left to fully experience the lack of food as punishment for sins against the fifth stricture. What they did not know was that Tilia had been bringing him scraps for which he was more than obliged. 

If, however, he had been on the verge of starvation, he would be willing to eat even filth, like rats, but there were none in the cell. The teaching made no sense to him. How was he to restrict hunger and not eat filth when they wouldn't fed him. Corvo laid motionlessly with an empty mind, comforted by the faint presence of the Outsider.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Next morning they brought him some stale bread and water. He devoured them with uncontrollable appetite as if it was a meal worthy of kings. 

They dragged him to the interrogation room. Servants and people visiting the official building averted eyes and continued with their affairs. He was no more to them than dirt under boots. Corvo wondered whether they recognized him as the Lord Protector, or was he simply another anonymous heretic.

He felt as if he had been there for months. This was only the sixth day. Corvo run the strictures through his mind. He might not have been a devotee but still he possessed the basic knowledge about the Abby’s teachings. The sixth was wanton flesh. 

His heart pounded wildly as they strapped him onto the interrogation chair. Jameson routinely shuffled with his papers before he began his short lecture.

"Restrict the Wanton Flesh. Truly, there is no quicker means by which a life can be upheaved and sifted than by the depredations of uncontrolled desire..."

Corvo's mouth went dry and he couldn't swallow past the lump that stuck in his throat. Dreadful images flashed through his mind with the possible tortures under the sixth stricture. Like every man was he was protective of that which anatomically characterized him as a male and the idea of being deprived of his manhood filled him with panic. 

The masked Overseer pulled on thick leather gloves. He worked his fingers, stretching them in the creaking material.

"You're not going to like this", he mumbled, for the first time saying something to Corvo. Better he had kept silent. There was smug satisfaction in his voice, bearing on sick pleasure. The bastard clearly enjoyed downgrading others, feeling himself the master of life and death.

"Jameson...please", Corvo pleaded as the other Overseer stood beside him examining an array of sharp objects.

Jameson was astonished for Corvo had not voiced much protest before. He gave his subject full attention, putting down the documents.

"Will you confess?", he sounded hopeful. The High Overseer must have put him under a lot of pressure to get concrete results and so far he had not delivered.

Corvo took longer to answer than he would have wanted,

"No."

Jameson sighed and strode towards the prisoner, flailing his arms.

"By the Void, Corvo! Why won't you cooperate? Please just give us what we want and I promise you won't suffer more."

Corvo let his head drop, matted dirty hair irritating his eyes.

"No."

Footsteps echoed as Jameson returned to his desk.

"Continue", he ordered the other Overseer who suddenly grabbed Corvo's belt, trying to unbuckle it. 

The Lord Protector fought against the restrains for all he was worth and managed to deliver a kick to the man's shin. It was no mighty blow but it still forced the Overseer to take a step back, growling with anger.

He backhanded Corvo, breaking the Lord Protector's last defences. Before he could attempt to rid him of his trousers again, raised voices reached their ears and a group of people stormed into the room. 

Corvo's throbbing jaw shot open when he saw the frail figure of the person in the lead. 

Emily.


	22. Chapter 22

Emily strode with a foreboding expression, dressed in a dark costume tailored to fit her small size. She looked less like a child and more like a ruler. 

Her gaze fell on Corvo briefly and he could see that she fought with herself not to run and embrace him. Tears glistened in the girl's eyes but she pushed them back, raising her chin high. 

By her side, with a grim look on his face, stood Geoff Curnow, a hand resting on the pommel of his sword. A detachment of tower guards in their red and blue uniforms followed along with a pale High Overseer.

Emily fixed Curtis in an icy glare,

"Free my Royal Protector immediately", she demanded, delicate hands fisting in rage. 

Jameson looked like he was ready to oblige by the Empress' command but one look from Curtis told him to stand still. The High Overseer, regaining some colour, grunted trying to re-establish his authority. Sides of his mouth twitched nervously.

"Your Majesty, we are simply serving you and the Empire by rooting out heretics. I realize it must be upsetting to discover that the Lord Protector is an agent of the Outsider, still, my Empress, you must-"

"Release him, now", Emily insisted.

Curtis opened his mouth to speak but no sound came out. He heaved a sigh and rubbed his face wearily,

"Please, your Majesty, do not demand that of me, lest you regret it."

The tension boiling up in every single person present in the interrogation room was a bottled up storm, ready to destroy when set loose.

"Are you threatening me?!", Emily squealed angrily, the guards shuffling behind her anxiously.

Curtis gave her a mirthless smile,

"I cannot have you interfere with our work."

Emily glared silently but Corvo could see she was losing her courage. A nervous expression stole onto the face of the stone still Curnow.

"Major, please untie the Royal Protector", Emily commanded and Geoff unfroze to do her bidding.

"How many men do you have with you, Empress?", Curtis uttered fringing on mock, "I ensure you that not enough. Leave now while you still can."

Geoff, unhindered by anyone, unbound Corvo, giving him a nod of reassurance. The Lord Protector struggled to stand, his legs threatening to give up any moment. The Major offered him an arm to lean on and Corvo clenched to it for dear life. 

"We are leaving", the young Empress announced and turned to leave but Curtis cut off their retreat and drew a pistol pointing it square at her. 

"You are not going anywhere, I'm afraid", he sounded dead serious and fully determined. No girl would unravel his grand plans. In the end, she would have to die too. Matters simply must progress faster now. Curtis will deliver two heretics to the public and claim rule for the Abbey. 

Emily did not shy away visibly but Corvo knew that she was terrified. He regretted that in a sense he would be her downfall, as well as Geoff's and the guards' who accompanied him. 

Corvo was free from his constrains yet with the weariness and unending Holger device music there was nothing he could do.

The Overseers were the ones to attack. Surprisingly, the few in number Tower guards resisted, fighting off the first wave of assault. Bullets ricocheted from stone walls through the frenzied hurricane of slashing blades. Blood flowed unrestrained, making the floor slippery and foot hold uncertain. Cries of anguish, fury and pain filled the interrogation room like never before. To Corvo's surprise the outnumbered Tower guards seemed to be in control of the situation. They moved with relentless agility and speed, cutting through enemy ranks like demons, with a rather young fair-haired man on the lead. No guard training prepared troops for this kind of action.

Still, as new Overseers kept arriving, they began to lose ground.

Suddenly, as if taken away by an invisible magical force, the chords of the music box ceased mid-tune. In the corner of his eye Corvo could see Geoff fiddling with a small cubic object but his full attention was fixed on Curtis and the cold metal of the gun pressed against Emily's throat. Without hesitation or second thoughts he blinked at mighty speed towards the High Overseer. 

The man gasped as Corvo materialized before him with a murderous grimace on his face. It was thrilling to again be in control of the Void powers. He was no more prey but a hunter.

Corvo yanked the pistol out of Curtis' sweaty hand, pulling Emily behind himself and placing the gun against the High Overseer's temple.

"Lay down your arms or I will blow his head off!", Corvo bellowed, his heart pounding inside his chest. The deadly threat caused both sides to stop and appraise him. 

The Overseers hesitantly glanced at one another, fingers loosely wrapped around pommels.

"Keep fighting!", Curtis howled, squirming violently, "let him kill me, our work is greater than one man."

They heeded his words and lunged themselves back into battle. With renewed spirits, they slashed and slain, managing to surround the Tower guards.

If he wanted any of them alive and out of here, Corvo had to act and end this madness. He glared at the High Overseer held firm in his grasp. The man was chuckling,  
"You may kill me but my cause will prevail."

Corvo spun the gun around in his hand and thrust the handle into Curtis' temple, knocking him unconscious. The man collapsed to the floor, unnoticed by his followers. 

Corvo clenched his left fist, the mark gleaming eerily, filling him with an overpowering sensation as if the Outsider himself was stroking his soul. There was only one thing to do that he could think of before all of these men lost their lives to Overseer blades.

Corvo waved his arm, unclenching his hand and a wild whirlwind rushed at those engaged in battle. He expected all of them to be knocked off their feet, spread against the walls. However, the Tower guards, as if expecting just that, managed to evade the powerful blow by falling to the ground and so only the Overseers fully experienced the effects of the Void's power. Corvo's allies quickly scrambled back onto their feet while the enemy still squirmed in pain. The fair-haired man approached Corvo. The Lord Protector could now see that it actually had a ginger glisten about it.

"What should we do with them?", he asked in a calm voice. 

Corvo appraised the fallen Overseers, wondering how could this man be so contained after seeing mystical forces in use. 

Those who would have killed them if given the chance laid now at their feet, at their mercy. They would have executed Emily, believing they were serving the greater good of the Empire. 

Still...

"Bind them", Corvo heard himself say. The man gazed at him for a moment, perhaps waiting for him to change his mind, "there has been enough killing on their behalf."

A single nod was followed by a couple of intricate hand gestures to which the uniforms responded obligingly.

Corvo scooped up Emily into his arms and followed by Geoff left the interrogation room. The corridor outside was abandoned and so they allowed themselves to relax just slightly.

"Thank you", the Lord Protector uttered, hardly believing that he was free and holding his little girl again. She kept silent, content to put down the facade of an Empress, still shaking from being held at gunpoint.

Geoff placed a firm hand on Corvo's shoulder,

"I'm sorry it took this long but Piero insisted that we needed his device to rescue you and it took him several days to finish it. In the end he was right."

They sat down on a red plush sofa. Emily hid her face in the sleeve of his bloodied jacket.

From his pocket Geoff pulled out the cubic box and placed it on his lap. It was metallic and, with turning gears, it produced a haunting noise of its own.

"What is it?", Corvo examined the object not daring to touch it.

"Piero's own music box, neutralizing the chords of the Overseer's ones. Apparently he dreamt it up."

Corvo sighed, placing his palm over his mark,

"I suppose I know who to thank."

Geoff's brow drew down,

"And I'm still waiting for that conversation you promised me, all the more with the things I have seen today and the strange allies who offered help in saving you.."

"Oh? Those peculiar Tower guards?"

The Major huffed, murmuring back Corvo's question, but before the Lord Protector got the chance to ask for a clarification the fair-haired man approached them silently as only a shadow would.

"They are all tied up, sir", he announced in a flat tone. Corvo stood up, sitting Emily beside Geoff and extended his arm which the man firmly squeezed.

"To whom do I owe my thanks?"

"My name is Thomas, me and my companions are Daud's Whalers."

Corvo gazed at the man dumbfounded, finding it hard to believe that a group of Whalers would arrive in the Office of the High Overseer with the aim of aiding him. 

On the other hand it started making sense with the way they had fought and had naturally responded to the use of Void powers. It was bizarre meeting them now and considering them allies since not that long ago they would have and indeed had attempted to kill him.

"How is it possible you are here?", Corvo inquired, feeling a strange pang of sorrow, "Daud told me he had disbanded your group."

Thomas looked like nothing more than a homeless pup with a hollow look in his eyes,

"No one can disband the Whalers, not even Daud. I understand why he had sent us away. Still, we had stayed loyal to him."

Corvo dropped his gaze from the man's green eyes,

"Then it will trouble you to hear of his death."

Thomas tensed but his face was emotionless,

"I know what fate has befallen him, I was there when the Overseers captured you. I'm sorry I did not manage to help but there were too many. Still, I made sure that the two Overseers tasked with dropping his body into the river, themselves fell in. I will arrange Daud's proper burial, you can count on that", he paused for a moment, pursing his lips, "He came to talk with me before he departed to Ramsay's ball. The way he spoke-, I knew something big was going on. He did not want me to help but I'm not discouraged this easily. That is why I was in the right place at the right time to.... intercept him. We, the Whalers, could not let them torture the man who tried to help Daud and that is why we are here today. He would have wanted us to."

Corvo clasped his hands behind his back. He felt inner peace at the news that Daud would have a respectful funeral. That reminded him of the bundle the assassin had asked him to give to Emily. It was still hidden inside his jacket.

Thomas fidgeted in his Tower guard uniform,

"You wouldn't know but we have met before-", he sounded obviously uncomfortable saying this.

"I can guess."

A sour half smile distorted Thomas' features,

"You treated me with a sleeping dart."

"Ah well, I do apologize for that but I am sure that you understand that under the circumstances-"

Thomas smirked under his nose,

"Of course I do. I only wanted to say that I am glad that our second meeting was on friendlier terms. Excuse me now, I must look for Billie Lurk for I was told she is kept here as well. It wouldn't be fair to leave her behind. After all, Daud had forgiven her."

Thomas departed and Corvo turned his attention back to Emily. He knelt before her and put the mysterious bundle beside her.

"I have something for you...from Daud."

She looked at him in confusion. One hand went to the wrapping but retreated just as quickly. Emily no doubt hated the man who had killed her mother and had kidnapped her. Despite that she knew that he had also played a part in her rescue although she was oblivious of how great that part had been. 

In the end child curiosity won her over and she unwrapped the gift, throwing away the stained packaging.

It was her doll, Mrs. Pilsen, who had gotten lost in the chaos that had followed Jessamine's death. 

Emily stared at her playmate as if a ghost visited her. Corvo knew how much she had missed the black-haired toy which had symbolized the years of youthul innocence which she had lost the moment Daud had driven his blade into Jessamine's abdomen. Now he returned the toy image of little Emily back to her.

She was silent for a good while, perhaps considering if it would not be better to cast the doll away. Geoff and Corvo watched her closely, exchanging tense looks. 

Finally, she embraced her miraculously found friend. 

Emily put down Mrs Pilsen and gazed at Corvo,

"This can never happen again", she sounded dead serious, not at all like a little girl.

Corvo locked her small delicate hand in his callous scared palms,

"What, my pearl?"

Her brow furrowed and she looked like a mirror image of her mother.

"The Abbey is corrupt. Every next High Overseer threatens the existing order. This must end", she fell silent and her brown eyes glistened with inner conviction. Words did not come easy onto her lips for she knew that they bore promises of change and change was never a simple matter, "I must become the head of the Abbey of Everyman so that the Empire can peacefully prosper and no religious zealot will think it acceptable to challenge the Empress' authority, ever again."

"The Parliament is more than capable of managing that on its own", Geoff murmured with a huff but Corvo paid no heed to his words. 

He was more bewildered by how he missed the moment when Emily ceased to be an idle child and had become an Empress, responsible for her people.

This had to be a dawn of an era. What the future hold was a mystery that only time could reveal. Nevertheless, Corvo was sure of two things: that he would always be at Emily's side and that the Outsider would keep his vigilant black eyes on the flow of events.


	23. Epilogue

The large hall carried voices surprisingly well. The tumult of quarrelling echoed endlessly and was lasting for far too long for Corvo to feel comfortable. He sat in a oaken balcony, Emily by his side, nervously turning a piece of paper in her hands, shredding it into small flakes. From this vantage point they had a clear view of the parliamentary session. 

It had taken several years of planning and preparing but finally here they were, today, witnessing grand changes that would place the Empress as the head of the Abbey. Hopefully, if the parliamentarians would pass that legislation. 

Corvo grimaced surveying the mass of richly adorned nobles with their smug faces and arms flailing in an uproar. He felt a fool for entrusting this issue to men who were as willing to cooperate as the contents of their purses were heavy. In the sea of faces he spotted the Prime minister, calm against the rushing current. Their eyes met and Powell nodded his head slightly. At least he seemed reassured that all would go well. 

"Order!", bellowed the Lord Speaker from the podium, "voting shall begin imminently."

Silence gradually filled the grand hall and Corvo realized he could hear his own heart pounding in his ears. 

The Lord Speaker cleared his voice and rearranged small spectacles on his hooked nose,

"Proposition, the Emperor ruling over the Empire of the Isles shall be the head of the Abbey of Everyman, replacing the post of High Overseer."

A murmur swept through the sea of nobles. This was the future of Gristol and all other member states that they held in their blue-veined hands. 

Despite being a mile stone in ensuring the ruler's firmer authority and cancelling a post that proved too prone to depravity, miscarriages and corruption, Corvo knew that Emily decided upon this for a far more personal reason. She wanted to protect him. The witch-hunt after him would never cease if matters remained as they had been. For Corvo the result of this vote was a question of life and death.

"All against?"

Hands sprung up, quite numerous and as they were being counted Corvo found himself harassing and twisting a handful of his coat. A warm touch brought his gaze down. Emily reassuringly placed her hand over his.

"All in favour?"

A forest of erected arms grew below them and it was instantly clear that the proposition passed. Emily was now, apart from being the Empress, the head of the Abbey, while being just fourteen of age.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The railcar bounced sharply on the tracks, making Corvo slightly nauseous. They were returning from another parliamentary session. This routine was starting to make both of them weary and on-edge, albeit for different reasons. 

Emily was unusually silent, obviously upset with him. This was the millionth time today that she was grumpy and sulking. Corvo glanced sideways at the tightly pursed lips and furrowed brow of the sixteen year old. She intently avoided his gaze, feigning interest in what she could see through the car window. 

The Lord Protector sighed, raking back his hair, sprinkled with grey at the temples, and rearranged his sword which bit into his hip uncomfortably.

"I hear whaling ships will be returning soon", he attempted to catch her attention but the young Empress merely shrugged off his idle chit chat. When she had been a little girl upon hearing such news her eyes would have gone wide out of proportion and she would ceaselessly babble asking him to take her and see the glorious beasts the ships would be bringing in. There were moments that Corvo nostalgically reminisced those years when gaining Emily's cooperation had required promising her a treat or playing hide and seek with her. Now he had to deal with a moody adolescent, who would never agree with him, no matter how right he was.

"I know you don't want to discuss this-", he uttered.

Emily turned to him sharply, tossing him a glare that could kill a small animal,

"You're right, I don't", she hissed.

They were silent for a moment before he tried again,  
"Emily, I'm 45 years old, I don't have the agility and strength I used to-"

'I do not want a new Lord Protector, I am quite content with my current one", she cut him off.

Corvo grunted seeing the stubbornness in her expression,  
"Nevertheless, you should appoint my successor so that he or she may begin their training and be ready for the time I will no longer be able to perform my duties."

Emily crossed her arms across her chest, slender fingers nervously twitching.

"Another word, Corvo, and I will have this car stopped, and I will walk the rest of the way, the Outsider be my witness."

Corvo watched her grimace the same way her mother had when she had been angry with him.

"If you do", The Lord Protector levelled his voice, "I will simply walk after you. No getting rid of me that easily, I am your bodyguard."

She turned her head away from him but her hand found his. Emily tenderly traced the outlines of the never-to-fade-away mark. After all, he was all she had closest to a family.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Corvo tried to tame the disarray of greying hair combing it back into a pony tail. The simple task appeared arduous, what with his mind troubled and far away. He had his way so why was he paralyzed by anxiety now...

Geoff Curnow accompanied him in his chambers, sitting rather relaxed on a plush chair with a cup of tea in his hand. It clanged as he placed it back on a small plate.

"Thank you for telling me all this", he uttered calmly, "You should tell Emily too, someday."

Corvo muttered something inaudible in response. He had decided to confine in Geoff, drop the burden of secrets that made him feel tired beyond his age. The Major had listened to his story as a true friend would. He had neither condemned Corvo nor praised him, for which the Lord Protector was grateful.

The comb fell out of his trembling hand,

"Ease off", Geoff remarked picking it up and clapping Corvo's back, "I told you that I understand, friend. It is all over. May your demons hunt you no more."

The Serkonan shook his head, his gaze stuck on the floor.

"What is it then?", Geoff inquired, "ahhh this is about Emily and her choosing of the next Lord Protector, is it not?"

Corvo did not reply, merely sighed. The major shrugged,

"It was your idea and a good one. You will still be the Royal Protector but you need a successor. You may have been granted powers of the Void but you are not eternal like it is. Besides, it’s not like she is choosing her future husband today."

Geoff smirked and with another clap to Corvo's back left him.

Alone in his chamber the Lord Protector turned to the true matter that had him on edge. From a hidden pocket inside his jacket he drew out the Heart, its muscles contracting and relaxing, mimicking the natural process. A voice filled his conscience, a sweet familiar voice, and yet an echo of its former glory. She sounded confused, hurt, speaking of confinement as well as secrets he did not wish to hear. 

Corvo looked up to confront his reflection in a mirror. Instead he was confronted by the black eyes of the Outsider. His bony face betrayed no emotion. 

The demi-god watched as Corvo drew his sword, ever present at his hip. There was a momentary hesitation which the image of a young man found particularly fascinating. Corvo's lips moved but no words formed. Was he praying? The Outsider would have given anything to be able to see merely a glimpse of what was going on inside the head of the stubborn Serkonan. A swift movement of the blade through the mechanical organ was accompanied by a cry of anguish which escaped Corvo's throat. He then dropped to his knees and wept silently.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The stone was dead cold when her fingers traced the engraved letters. She wasn't crying, not any more, that was reserved for moments of solitude. An Empress has to be strong, if not for herself than for her people, her mother had told her. 

In memory of Lord Protector Corvo Attano.

He was gone. 

Emily felt tears welling up in her eyes and a notch in her throat that threatened to choke her. However, even in the secluded gazebo she was not able to let her emotions get the better of her. Two of her ever present shadows, a big and a small one watched her from a distance, giving her time to say goodbye.

Without Corvo she felt terribly lost. He had been her only link with the past, with her mother. All her life he had stood by her, protecting, caring and loving. A true father.

She had asked him countless times, Corvo had never given her a clear answer. Emily felt frustrated and confused, wholeheartedly wanting him to be her real kin. He would not tell, uncomfortable when she had pressed him, but she knew the truth. She had always known it. She only wanted a confirmation by his words. Corvo was Emily's father and if he had chosen not to tell her, he had to have had his reasons. 

Even if there had been no blood bond between them that would not cause Emily to think of him anything less than of a father.

She hoped the Outsider would keep his promise and reunite him with Jessamine. Emily knew of the atrocities he had committed, nevertheless, until his last days he had sought redemption for the past wrongs. He deserved to be happy in the afterlife.

Emily reached for her bag, pulling out her doll, Mrs Pilsen, and hugged her briefly. With a sad smile she realized that a 34 year old woman, an Empress at that, must look incredibly foolish squeezing a toy against her chest. She placed the doll beside the grave stone, giving over her childhood to the man who had shaped it. 

She remembered her first diplomatic trip abroad, to Serkonos. Emily had been anxious, afraid that she would do something wrong that would damage the relations between the two Isles. Corvo had turned the voyage into a month long vacation she had not wanted to return from. With him by her side, Emily quickly had dealt with business matters and could let Corvo snatch her and take her to wondrous places he had been to as a child. 

Emily heard quick light footsteps and then an insistent tug on her arm drugged her back from her thoughts.

"Mummy, daddy is getting worried", a squeaky voice nagged at her. Emily picked up her daughter and pulled a thread of crow black her behind her ear.

"Daddy is always worried", she told the little girl who giggled in response.

The second shadow, a tall handsome man approached her. Emily looked at him displeasingly.

"I'm sorry, Emily, she slipped away", he apologized taking the child from her arms.

"What kind of a Royal Protector are you if you can't keep your eyes on a little girl?", She chided jokingly. 

He shrugged sheepishly,  
"Don't blame me, you picked me to be your bodyguard. However, I don't think that even Lord Protector Attano could keep his eyes on a little girl, when that little girl had been you."

"Such insolence!", Emily exclaimed and kissed him briefly, "give me just a moment and I will join you."

The man smiled, raising the child higher in his arms.

"Higher, daddy!", she giggled.

"Are you a bird, little flower?"

He took her away, both laughing gleefully. 

Emily turned back to Corvo's name on the stone,  
"Goodbye, dad."

FIN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That is the end! My thanks to anyone who took the time to read this. Love you all!


End file.
